


Gravity

by ashethehedgehog



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Dragons, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, MECHA dragons, Mecha, Puzzleshipping, Racing, Space Marines, Space War, Spaceships, Street Racing, absolute sunshine boy atem, an unholy amount of fighting scenes, mech fighting, wrist implants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-09-09
Packaged: 2019-07-01 06:36:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 60,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15768603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashethehedgehog/pseuds/ashethehedgehog
Summary: Piloting is all Atem has ever known. Since the day he found himself waking up as a teenager with no childhood memories, he threw himself into a life always behind the wheel of a vehicle, discovering a seemingly natural talent for it. He worked his way up onto the admiral’s flagship in space, where he fights alongside mechs- giant dragon shaped machines of great power.But he’s not the only one on the ship with a strange past, and sometimes, secrets can’t stay hidden for long.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And I'm back! Miss me? ;)  
> This is the start of my ygo Big Bang fic this year! It's,,, another sci-fi fic ahaha :'''D Still definitely not in my comfort zone, but I stuck to it and tried my best. Chapters for this fic are going to be much shorter than my usual chapter lengths, as the clause of BB posting is a chapter a day, and I didn't want to overwhelm with big chunky chapters, so! They're significantly shorter and faster to read as a result. 
> 
> HUGE thank you to my amazing beta [mouthfulofbees/dog-fish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dog_fish/pseuds/mouthfulofbees) for cleaning up the absolute original mess I sent him :'''D
> 
> I hope you enjoy Gravity! <3

The cockpit hissed as the hydraulics lifted the glass panels. Atem slid out of the pilot’s chair, groaning as his limbs protested at the sudden weight of being upright again.

He took a moment to shift his stance, stretching his legs out. He then shuffled out of the seating area onto a set of metal stairs attached to the side of the Magician.

A crew of mechanics were already surrounding his ship, and he nodded to a few of them in silent thanks as they set about repairing his vehicle.

Beside his ship was Jou, another pilot in the squad, crawling out of his own ride. Jou’s ship wasn’t like his, however, the machine thrice the height and designed to look like a dragon, where Atem’s vehicle had a more traditional cone shape.

Jou noticed Atem staring, tossing him a grin and a wave, which Atem returned. Jou then sauntered up to him.

“Man, I swear every time I get out of that seat my back _aches_ ,” he grunted, stretching himself out.

“Maybe you’re just getting old,” Atem commented, smiling as Jou looked appalled at him.

“Me?! Have you seen yourself!? If anyone’s the ancient one around here, it’s you buddy.”

“My back doesn’t ache after every mission.”

“Maybe you’ve just gotten really good at keeping the pain at bay.”

“That’s not how it works, Jou. And besides, you have experience, I would think you had a higher tolerance.”

“For physical stuff, yeah, like getting beaten up. But sitting down for so long? Clenching your hands to handles and pressing so many buttons and switches? That’s your forte, Atem.”

Atem hummed, sliding his hands into his jumpsuit pockets. “I guess you could say so. But I haven’t been piloting ships _that_ long, and bikes don’t have switches.”

“So you’re a natural, congrats,” Jou rolled his eyes mockingly, straightening back up. “Sometimes I wonder why we get sent out on border patrols. We are in the most expensive ships after all.”

“Some of us,” Atem snorted. “Although I guess my ship is customised to the point where it does cost a pretty penny.”

“Yeah see? You can’t talk mister.”

“But mine still isn’t a mecha,” Atem argued. “It’s just a military ship. And while it is expensive, it’s still got nothing on the repairs yours and Kaiba’s needs.”

“The price you pay for beauty,” Jou laughed. “So hey, wanna hit up the bar?”

“Are we really allowed to go drinking after missions so much?” Atem mused.

“Well there isn’t a rule that says no, so…” Jou trailed off, his gaze flickering away from Atem and suddenly turning hard. Atem turned to where he was staring, feeling himself groan inwardly.

Seto Kaiba stalked up to them, his eyes narrowed. “You’re supposed to drink under the limit, though. Something you seem to forget easily, Jounouchi.”

He then rounded on Atem, not giving Jou a chance to respond. “And for someone who seems to want the admiral’s best interests in mind, you seem to waver on disobedient far too often. I wonder if Yugi knows.”

“What I _and_ Yugi do in our own time is none of your concern, Kaiba,” Atem shot back, drawing to his full height. It mattered not as Seto still towered over the both of them, icy eyes mere slits behind his frown.

“As your captain, it is, because if you’re not ready to get out there at any hour of the day, then you’re not fit for my squad.”

Atem bristled, but kept his temper in check. If he rose to Seto’s challenge, then he would only be proving him right. “I worked hard to get here, and I’m not about to throw it all away. I’m not even going to the bar, if you had paid attention to the whole conversation, instead of conveniently eavesdropping to the parts that benefitted you.”

Seto grunted but didn’t respond. He stormed off, leaving Jou and Atem to exchange a doubtful look.

“Well trust the captain to have a stick up his ass,” Jou muttered. “I still don’t know why you can’t be captain. I’m sure you could work your magic, you know, butter up to Yugi a bit. Missions would be heaps more fun with you in charge.”

Atem offered him an apologetic smile. “But I’m not a mech pilot, Jou. And Kaiba has many years’ worth of experience on us. He is captain for a reason, despite how prickly he can be off the field.”

Jou groaned, his shoulders slumping. Atem gave him a reassuring pat. “Chin up, Jou. At least he can’t constantly pick on you with me there too.”

“Yeah I guess. And it’s not like I’m about to see mister stuck up at the bar,” Jou’s face lit up, and he grinned. “So you’re not coming?”

“I’m a little tired after today, I think I’m going to go bed early.”

“Your loss, grandpa,” Jou snorted. “I’ll grab Honda for a couple of rounds then.”

Atem bid goodbye to Jou, heading out of the hanger bay and into the maze of corridors in the heart of the ship.

He knew the path well, letting his feet take him to the elevators and up several levels to a floor with numerous doors spread widely across the corridor. There was an intersection at the end that lead to more rooms. He took the right turn, heading farther in until he reached one door in particular.

The plate in the middle of the door shone at him with textured letters. He held a keycard up to the panel by the side, and it flashed green, the door opening with a _whoosh_.

He took a quick shower, replacing his sweaty jumpsuit with a set of comfortable, casual clothes. He also threw on his jacket over the top of it. It was a nice and subtle burgundy colour with his name embroidered over a breast pocket. A gift from Yugi, for his birthday last year. He was hardly seen without it on, outside of having to wear his uniform.

He walked around his room, towel rubbing over his head as he dried off his locks. His chambers were modest, he knew, something more qualified for a private than a lieutenant. But he didn’t need a great big room to satisfy himself, and the simple space was easier to manage.

Besides, he wasn’t in here all that much, most of his nights spent in Yugi’s chambers instead.

Glancing around, he knew the space was considered sparse compared to others. He was aware having so little possessions was considered strange, since they were encouraged to make their rooms as close to home as possible. But Atem didn’t have much to call his own, and he didn’t mind only keeping a few items that held significance. It made it easier to take his mind off the lack of childhood relics, and he reasoned the memories he had made since were enough.

His eyes paused on the photo by his bed. He picked it up, letting his fingers trail over the glass.

It was a picture of him and Yugi on one of their first official dates. They were both grinning into the camera, Yugi’s arm cut off where he was holding it up, the rest of his body squished against Atem’s. Their eyes shone, and Atem smiled, feeling the warmth from the sun that day like he was there again.

He felt the sudden urge to go and find Yugi, just so he could scoop him up and kiss him breathlessly. A quick glance at the clock beside the frame’s position told him his company would be welcome.

He set the photo back down, hopping out of his room.

He rode the elevator further up, bouncing on his feet. His heart fluttered and a smile spread his face thinking about spending time with his boyfriend. _Gods I must be the luckiest guy in the world,_ he blushed, laughing aloud to himself.

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. He strode out into the corridor, taking the familiar path towards Yugi’s chambers.

He was surprised to find Yugi exiting the entry door, strutting forward. His attention was absorbed into a holographic display up on his watch.

Before Atem could announce his presence, Yugi raised his head, as if sensing he was there. His eyes widened in surprise, and his pace quickened. Atem grinned, leaning forward to wrap his arms around Yugi once he was close enough. He spun them around, laughing loudly.

“Hello, love,” Atem murmured, his lips finding a spot high on Yugi’s neck to press against, around the choker.

“Atem, how unusual to see you at this hour,” Yugi chuckled, and Atem saw him checking his watch in the corner of his eye. “You finish the patrol earlier than expected?”

“No, I just came looking for you sooner. Can you blame me? So long not looking at your gorgeous face is like living in darkness.” He pressed more kisses to Yugi’s neck, trailing up to Yugi’s cheek.

Yugi snorted, his hands fisting tighter into Atem’s jacket. “You’re so dramatic.”

Atem pulled back, putting on a mock expression of disbelief. “Me? Dramatic? Why, Yugi, I am _hurt_.”

“You’re a dork!” Yugi was barely holding back his laughter, eyebrows drawn in an attempt to hold it back. “You should have gotten a career in writing poetry instead. It would suit you.”

“You think so? Well then someone better go tell the admiral that I’m quitting to pursue my one true calling.”

“Oh dear, he might not be happy to hear that,” Yugi tutted, crossing his arms. “Word is he has a fondness for you, and if you’re off his ship who knows what might happen. Might drive him mad not having his boyfriend around.”

“Well maybe he shouldn’t call his boyfriend a _dork_ then,” Atem grinned, leaning forward to throw his arms around Yugi’s neck, nuzzling his cheek.

“Hey! It’s the truth!” Yugi struggled against him, but Atem linked his arms together behind Yugi’s back, effectively trapping him.

“That would make you a sucker for a dork, then, since you’re the one dating him.”

“God you’re impossible,” Yugi scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“ _But_?” Atem sung with a hum, smug grin on his face.

“But you’re a beautiful impossible man,” Yugi pecked his cheek, peeling Atem’s arms off him.

Atem let him, beaming in his victory. “Well one has to be, when their boyfriend is just so darn perfect.”

Yugi laughed, shaking his head. His bangs swatted around his face, trying in vain to escape the grasp of his hat. Atem made a sound as it dawned on him Yugi was still in his uniform.

“Are you still on? I can wait, if you have work to do,” Atem said.

“No I’m done for today, why do you ask?” Yugi raised an eyebrow.

“Because your hat’s still on, love,” Atem chuckled as Yugi patted his head, letting out a hum of surprise.

“So it is,” he said, flipping it off and under one of his arms. The other hand came up to run through his bangs, dislodging them from their haphazard appearance.

“Long day?” Atem asked, sensing the waves of exhaustion practically rolling off of Yugi.

“You could say that.” Yugi sighed, leaning forward to wrap an arm around Atem’s waist, pulling him closer. “A lot of paperwork today, and I have to spend tomorrow plotting out where to send you guys next. Very busy.”

“So eager to be rid of me again? I’m hurt.”

“Not you, but unfortunately you have to go with _him_ , so my hands are tied and sacrifices must be made.”

“Ah, Kaiba.”

“If I thought you were impossible, then Seto is a concrete wall of unmoving resolution. Reasoning with him is like convincing Bakura to give himself up.”

“So, impossible, then.”

Yugi nodded. He moved his head to stand straight in front of Atem, their faces incredibly close. He stared at Atem, and Atem gave him a smile back.

Yugi’s fingers tugged at his jacket, and Atem took the hint, leaning forward to press their lips together.

It was soft and yet passionate, Yugi channelling his desire into Atem through his movements. Atem could sense what he wanted, tilting his head and letting Yugi reach further in, taking Atem’s bottom lip between his own and sucking on it.

He brought a hand up to Atem’s cheek, and Atem mimicked the action with Yugi’s opposite cheek, stroking the skin lightly.

Yugi broke apart what felt prematurely to Atem, but he didn’t comment on it as Yugi stared at him intensely.

“Come on, I’m not about to waste my time standing out here when my chambers are right there,” Yugi gave him a suggestive look, and Atem grinned.

“Well, if my admiral wants me to, then I better do as he says.”

“Yes, you should,” Yugi agreed, tugging on his arm. “So let’s go already!”

Atem laughed, letting himself be pulled along, smiling as Yugi lead him into his quarters, the door closing and locking behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the warm welcome back guys! uvu Have some incredibly mushy adorable dorky Atem in return~ (seriously he is an absolute DORK in this fic so be prepared for that lmao)

The next day saw Atem and Yugi sitting down for breakfast in Yugi’s chambers. The dining area was one they only used for mornings and special dinners, usually preferring to cuddle on the couch every other night while they ate. The table was often cluttered with Yugi’s work as well as Atem’s, and Atem never knew quite where to put all of the documents, so most nights it was covered in papers until Yugi would sweep away the mess the next morning.

Atem nursed the tea in front of him, slouched over the table to inhale the scents. His eyes drifted over to watch Yugi work.

He was busy reading over lengthy documents, the pages dominated by walls of text. One of his hands held his pen tight, while the other brought a piece of toast to his mouth, absently nibbling on the bread.

Yugi scrawled some more words across the page, the loops of his signature repeating endlessly.

“Work at the table? How unusual,” Atem chuckled, and Yugi grunted.

“I know, it’s like some double took my place, what a concept.”

“More paperwork, I presume?”

“Mmm.”

“What kind?”

Yugi sighed, flipping through the pages. “Mostly formal stuff. Reports in hard copy and some suggestions for the future, to keep my ship and crew happy and safe. A few notes on happenings on Menet. Apparently, illegal bike racing has increased recently in the south.”

“Hey, don’t look at me, I haven’t been there for ages,” Atem put his hands up. “Wouldn’t this stuff be easier if you did it on the holograms on the bridge?”

“Yeah probably, but nothing feels quite as good as old fashion paperwork,” Yugi chuckled. He finally released the pen to scoop up his mug, sipping the drink that was sure to be lukewarm by now.

Atem didn’t have to taste his own to know it was still warm, the heat coming through to his fingers along the outside. But he knew Yugi liked milk in his drinks, so his was sure to grow colder sooner.

Yugi, surely enough, scrunched up his face, but downed it anyway. Atem could smell the bitterness of the coffee from over his own tea. 

He glanced down at the pages swallowing Yugi’s section of their table. He noticed Bakura’s name dotting several of the sheets. Somewhere underlined, and written with obvious distaste. He was sure the pen would leak through in some sections, Yugi seemingly pressing too hard, as was his habit.

“How did Bakura find a mech outside of the military?” Atem asked.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Yugi shrugged. “He just showed up one day, took one look at our dragons, and blasted a hole into one. Not what I’d have done with diplomatic interest in mind, so...”

“He worries me,” Atem admitted.

Yugi glanced up from his documents, his lips pursed. “Bakura is a very deadly force. It’s the only mecha outside our force that we know of. That _is_ a lot of power for one man, but, he works alone, and that’s his weakness.”

They fell silent as Yugi picked up his pen again, eyes returning to the documents. Atem watched him scan the pages, pen lid tapping the table occasionally.

“Something wrong?” Atem asked, lowering his tone.

“I’m worried,” Yugi admitted, and Atem listened keenly. “I can’t shake the feeling that Bakura is lurking right now, plotting something new.”

“Usually your instincts prove to be valuable to heed,” Atem leaned closer, his fingers sliding his palms together. “What does your gut tell you to do?”

“I’m not sure. I can feel… _something_ , but _what_ exactly, I’m unsure of. I guess I’ll have to arrange a meeting with Seto over it soon. Maybe today.”

“My heart aches for you,”Atem said, grinning.

“Don’t just yet mister. If I meet with Seto today, then you’ll be having a briefing tomorrow, most like.”

Atem groaned, rolling his eyes. “The horror.”

“He’s not _that_ bad,” Yugi smiled.

“When you’re above him in ranking, I’m sure, but from where I stand, he is a _pain_.”

“But still, your captain.”

“Regrettably.”

“Are you trying to imply my decision to put you under Kaiba’s command was a bad decision?”

“Absolutely,” Atem grinned at him.

Yugi gave him a disgusted look, hand placed over his heart. “I am hurt by these hurtful words. _Hurt_ , Atem.”

“The truth hurts, I hear.”

“Absolutely appalling. You’re fired.”

“Oh no, but how will I ever see my incredibly busy and fantastic boyfriend if I’m not on his ship anymore?”

“You won’t, that’s the point.”

“I’ll have to… move on, look for a new partner. Someone whose smile is just as radiant, who’s touch is comforting no matter what. Where to start? Woe is me, to have to try and find a soul just as bright-”

“Oh my god you can stop now,” Yugi laughed, tossing his head back. He slid out of his chair, but Atem was quick to do so as well, stepping in front of Yugi.

“But where oh where, Yugi! True perfection only comes to you once in your life! To think, Kaiba would stand in the way of our love like this!” Atem raised his tone in mock hurt, acting as dramatic as he could imagine.

He swept forward, scooping an arm around Yugi’s shoulder and pressing his other palm to Yugi’s chest, over his heart. “How could Kaiba take away this… this harmony of two souls, so precious, so pure, he is surely a-”

“ _Atem_ ,” Yugi whined, spinning them around so they were chest to chest. He slapped his hands over Atem’s cheeks, tugging him forward so they were nose to nose. Atem noticed how flushed Yugi looked. “You beautiful over the top idiot. I love you and Kaiba isn’t changing that. Stop before you make my face anymore red.”

“But you’re so cute when you blush like that,” Atem swooned, scooping Yugi closer into a hug. “My cute little admiral.”

“We’re the same height you dork.”

“Does that make me your cute little lieutenant?”

Yugi hummed. “Maybe.”

“Atem Sennen, master pilot of the intergalactic fleet, cute little lieutenant of Yugi Mutou’s.”

Yugi snorted, his shoulders shaking against Atem’s as he laughed. “God, Atem, you really are adorable.”

“Good. Any praise from my admiral is the highlight of my day.” Atem muttered against his neck, nosing the leather strap. “There is no one better in the skies than you.”

“This is space, Atem.” Yugi said, tone deadpan.

“All the better! Space is so much bigger and better, and there’s no one with the skills like you to lead a fleet. Or, well, ship, I guess, considering we don’t really _have_ a fleet here.”

“Well, my grandfather was a pretty good admiral…”

“Would you just accept my praise already? Or do I have to kiss you senseless?” Atem whispered against Yugi’s ear, and he felt the other shiver.

“I would not be against the latter.” Atem felt Yugi’s hands side around his waist, tugging him flush against him. “But unfortunately, duty calls.”

“Augh, duty, my worst enemy,” Atem _tsk_ ed, allowing Yugi to worm out of his hold, arms dropping.

“Now, now, duty is our _greatest_ sense of achievement,” Yugi said, his words dull as if reciting something.

“Oh I’m sure, after all, the academy had to give you some kind of reason for taking so much of your time.”

Yugi shrugged, grinning. “Three years ain’t that bad.”

“It’s disgusting.”

“We can’t all be naturals handpicked by the high ups,” Yugi purred, flicking his fingers under Atem’s chin.

“And we all can’t be as gorgeous as you, mister Mutou,” Atem purred right back, taking one of Yugi’s hands and kissing the knuckles lightly.

He heard Yugi’s breath hitch, and the fingers curled around his. “I really have to go now, Atem. I’m sorry,” Yugi looked sad, and Atem could see the longing in his gaze as he stared at their hands.

“I understand. See you tonight?”

“Of course. We should arrange a proper date soon, too. I’ll get off early some night soon, and we can have a proper dinner together.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Atem smiled, releasing Yugi’s hand. Yugi leaned forward to press their lips together softly before turning around, walking out of the room.

Atem watched him leave, staring at the door long after Yugi had disappeared.

* * *

Several days later Seto called a meeting for their team. Atem and Jou arrived to the room exchanging tired looks. They had just been out not even a week past, and he knew Jou would want to spend quality time here at the base just as much as he did. Atem hoped whatever Seto wanted, it wouldn’t pull him away from Yugi for too long. He had noticed Yugi was looking more stressed than usual lately, and he wished he could wipe the fatigue from his eyes.

He hoped this business with Bakura could end soon, so Yugi would get a break from the pressure of this mission. _Unless they just ship him off to another sector after this,_ Atem sighed. He knew Yugi was a good tactician, to the point where even Seto seemed to give his words merit, regardless of ranking. _And he has experience with and leading mechs, so I guess he’s pretty important to the interstellar state._ He had only heard rumours about Yugi’s actual mech, though, never having seen it himself. He didn’t even know if it was still around, whispers were it was damaged in an accident years ago. Yugi himself was tight lipped about it, never willing to discuss the matter. _But he knows how to lead, and that’s what matters on the bridge of the flagship._

Seto was already in the room, as he always was. Sometimes Atem wondered if he arrived an hour or two before hand, just so he would always be first. Atem briefly recalled Yugi mentioning that Seto was always the first to arrive for meetings even back when they were in a team together. _Such a Seto thing to do, I wouldn’t put it past him,_ Atem mused.

They took their seats in front of the board Seto was standing by.

“All right _team_ ,” Seto said, gritting the word out between his teeth. “Listen up because I won’t be repeating this information.”

Atem grunted, while Jou just stared ahead. Seto continued.

“We’re going to intercept Bakura at some co-ordinates he’s going to be at.”

“Are you positive? You have evidence?” Atem asked.

“I tracked his mech down through a small gap in his radar firewall, and he’ll be there by the time we reach him on his course. Don’t interrupt me, Sennen.” Seto shot him a dark look, and Atem leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

“As I said, our team will be going there to engage him in battle. The idea is to shake him up and hopefully damage his mech. Mutou seems sure he’s up to something, and I don’t disagree. It’s in our best interest to attack him before he can attack and surprise us.”

Atem nodded, seeing Jou do the same in his side vision.

“Good. Now, we’re not leaving immediately, so stop giving me those forlorn looks,” Seto glared between the both of them. “You can go hang out with your tonics and boyfriends, whatever you losers do. I expect you to be ready to depart in three days, however, looking like you’re about to go to war.”

“Are we not already at war? I mean technically, this mission against Bakura is in the interest of security for colonised planets nearby, so…” Atem smiled, and Seto grunted at him.

“Get out both of you. Three days.”

“Yes sir,” both Atem and Jou saluted, although Atem could feel Jou’s action was just as lazy as his felt. Seto didn’t care, already turning to a tablet in his hand, ignoring them.


	3. Chapter 3

Atem stood across the field, staring down his opponent. Both of their swords gleamed at their sides, their grips tight.

He waited, watching to see what the other would do, analysing them in the seconds of idleness.

He could see his opponent’s eyes flickering around, searching for an opening. Atem didn’t give him the time to find one.

He leapt forward, swinging his blade down.

His opponent brought his sword forward, their blades crashing together. Atem used the momentum from the strike to slide away, breaking their contact. He scraped his blade off his opponent’s and jumped away, giving himself breathing room.

His opponent came at him again, ducking to the side, but it was a feint. He ducked around to Atem’s other side, sword raised.

Atem grunted, throwing his weapon up just in time to take the strike. His opponent leaned down, shoving his weight forward, and Atem sucked in a breath, his legs straining to keep him upright. The padding beneath his feet kept him grounded, his grip sure, but the pressure was too much for him to maintain, and he couldn’t push back. He shifted his weight to raise a leg, thrusting his knee to connect with his opponent’s chest.

He stumbled back, and Atem sprang away.

They broke apart, both panting heavily. His opponent paused, and then laughed.

“Wow, you’re really getting scary with a sword!” Jou chuckled. “Why are you so good at this? We barely even use swords!”

“We really don’t,” Atem grinned. “But we’re in space, and we fight with guns and lasers. There’s not much room for swords, understandably.”

“Then why do we do this again?” Jou rolled his shoulder, panting loudly. Atem relaxed, sensing a down moment.

“To keep ourselves fit?” he suggested.

“It does get the blood pumping,” Jou laughed. He straightened out, and Atem gripped his sword tighter.

Jou lunged for him, and Atem side stepped, raising his blade up.

“So how’s your mech going?” he asked.

“Red-Eyes? She’s great! A real breeze to ride in! It’s like she knows exactly what I wanna do before I even wanna do it, you know?”

“I would say I don’t, since I don’t have AI in my gun ship,” Atem chuckled. He couldn’t help noticing that every time he asked Jou about his mech, he treated it like it was a living thing. _I know AIs can develop personalities, but…_ Atem shook off his queries, focusing on the match instead.

“Oh, right. My bad!” Jou said, swinging forward to clash blades with Atem’s.

Atem grunted, pushing back against Jou. Jou’s muscle mass would give him more strength in a locked battle like this, and they both knew it.

Atem dived, letting Jou’s force push him backwards. He dipped off to the side, using the momentum to skirt around to the side. If he couldn’t fight Jou head on, then he would find a way to catch him off guard.

He pivoted his body, bringing his right heel around and forward. He whacked it into Jou’s ankle with strong force. Jou’s body swayed as it lost balance, and his legs fumbled to step backwards. But Atem’s foot was still there, and Jou tumbled backwards as a result.

Before Atem could lunge towards him, Jou turned his motion into a roll as he hit the ground, springing up and just far enough away from Atem’s striking range.

“Nice move,” Jou tipped his head.

“Thanks.” Atem flashed him a grin.

“So,” Jou said, circling back around. “Have you ever considered flying your own mech? You know you’ve got the talent for one; there’s hardly anyone who can match you when it comes to piloting expertise.”

“I have considered it,” Atem admitted, “but mechs are so expensive and rare for the army to build, why would they give us another one? We already have two.”

“Well, three, technically, although only two in working order.” Jou said as he examined his blade. Atem lowered his own, sensing Jou wasn’t about to strike up a sparring match again.

“Exactly,” Atem said. “That’s already millions of dollars to repair.”

“I suppose. But another mech could really turn the tide in this battle, don’t you think? Especially with a crazy guy like Bakura throwing punches on the other side. His mech is just…” Jou shuddered. “You get my point.”

Atem nodded. Even with all three of them on Bakura sometimes, he managed to dodge and weave between them all. Despite being outnumbered, Bakura even occasionally scored a few shots off on their ships, much to Atem’s anxiety. He knew exactly what Jou meant; Bakura was a demon on the battlefield. 

Bakura’s mech was deadly, incredibly fast, and loaded with more weapons than should be on something that would be formidable on its own. It was dangerous, and definitely the greatest concern they had on the field at the moment. Its arsenal of sharp metal claws and the extra head on its tail along with stacks of guns made the mech more trouble than they felt they could sometimes handle.

 _Maybe another mech would boost our forces,_ Atem thought. _But I don’t know if it’s for the best that I pilot it._ The idea was fun to entertain, and a part of him leapt at the chance to be inside one of those cockpits.

But something held him back, told him he shouldn’t, and the feeling was so strong he wavered when the topic was mentioned.

He felt his watch beep and glanced down, the bright numbers burning into his pupils and causing him to pause.

“Ah, time to leave, Jou.” Atem said.

“Date with the admiral?” Jou guessed.

“You bet,” Atem brought his sword back to the rack, Jou following. “We have a dinner date.”

“How romantic,” Jou grinned, tossing him a wink. “Make sure you can still walk for tomorrow, eh? We have patrols to do.”

Atem flushed, face scowling. “Jou, please. What Yugi and I choose to do is up to us, whether or not-”

Jou burst out laughing, doubling over. “Atem! Atem! Calm down, I’m just joking around!”

Atem’s cheeks grew hotter. “I know that, but-”

“It’s all right, I promise I’m not spreading rumours about you two and your sex lives. Believe me, I went to school with Yugi and I know _enough_.”

“Then stop making me all flustered like this! I’ll have to shower before makeup at this rate.”

“You’ll have to do that anyway dude. Probably not the best idea to spar before a date.”

“I needed the distraction,” Atem huffed, readjusting the sweaty bangs clinging to his face.

“From what? Yugi?”

“From… date stress.”

“Dude,” Jou hid his mouth behind a hand, and Atem could tell he was smiling. “There’s no need to stress over a date with your boyfriend. Especially when you’ve been dating for like, _years_.”

“I know, I really shouldn’t be so nervous all the time, but… well…”

“Atem, you’ll be fine. Yugi will love whatever you do, just like he always does. And he’ll still love you and your big goofy heart eyes even if your dinner is burnt and disgusting.”

“I know-”

“Then stop stressing!” Jou slapped him on the back. “Just go up there and have a great time with your boyfriend, Atem.”

“You’re right,” Atem let out a shaky sigh, smiling at Jou. “Thanks Jou. You always know just what to say.”

“Of course, though why you need someone as unlucky in love like me to tell you all this is beyond me,” Jou rolled his eyes good naturedly.

“You’ll find the right person eventually. And when you do, I’m sure you’ll come to me asking for advice on how to woo them.”

“That is true, although with how long it took you to woo Yugi, I might have to ask Yugi instead.”

“Harsh, Jou,” Atem laughed, his eyes flickering to his wrist once more. “Okay, I better head off for that shower.”

“Yes yes, shoo shoo,” Jou made a dismissive gesture, and Atem dipped his head.

He left the sparring room to head to the elevators, which then took him up several flights to the chambers of the elite. Yugi, naturally, had much larger quarters than Atem, and so they more often than not had their private moments in his rooms. Yugi also had his own kitchen, which Atem didn’t, so they came here when they had dinners planned. Atem mostly cooked, since Yugi was not the best when it came to food preparation. Neither of them minded, since Yugi drooled over his food, and Atem loved being able to cook something for him and only him.

Atem’s key card granted him access to Yugi’s chambers, since Yugi had upgraded it to do so after they started getting serious. _Hard to believe that was so long ago…_ Atem sighed, a smile creeping up his face. _Hard to believe I’ve been able to call him my boyfriend for years now._ It made him flush every time just thinking about it, and he was even more eager for Yugi to retire for the night so Atem could pepper him with kisses.

There was still a bit of time before Yugi would arrive, so he set to work preparing their meal, chopping vegetables and sizzling meat on the stovetop. He had pretty much claimed Yugi’s kitchen space, to the point where Yugi joked one day he should just move in, even though they knew they had to keep their separate chambers in name. _If it was anything else but the army…_ Atem sighed wistfully. He just hoped that this mission would end soon enough and he and Yugi could take some time off, maybe go on a holiday.

Yugi was more of a snow and cold person, and Atem liked deserts and heat, but he was sure they could find a planet that would satisfy them both to relax on.

He found that by the time he had most of the food ready, Yugi still hadn’t returned. “Okay, now I’m worried, he’s never this late,” he muttered, tapping his foot. He knew Yugi was busy, being admiral and all, but he generally never missed their dinner dates. He was always on time, if not sometimes a bit late from work, but then he would call ahead and let Atem know. Rarely was there a moment were Yugi simply… vanished.

He turned the heat off and left lids on everything to trap the steam in, then left Yugi’s chambers. He headed out to the elevator and rode it up to the very top, where the command bridge was: Yugi’s other home.

“Yugi?” Atem stepped out onto the bridge, glancing around.

Heads turned at the disturbance, but none of them were Yugi. They watched him curiously, but no one stepped forward to speak up. Yugi’s station was also empty, the semi-circle of computers and screens all on standby.

“Where is the admiral?” Atem asked, holding back a sigh.

“He retired for the night earlier, sir,” someone pipped up.

“Thank you,” Atem spun around, wasting no time in leaving the bridge.

Walking through the corridors at a brisk pace, he couldn’t help but wonder where else Yugi would vanish to.

 _Not in his chambers and not on the bridge… Yugi, where are you?_ It was a surprise to see Yugi slip off, and seemingly disappear off the flagship. Atem had heard rumours he used to do it frequently, but Atem had never experienced himself. Most of the time, if Atem needed him, Yugi was there.

 _I suppose this isn’t urgent, but still, he knew we had a late dinner tonight…_ Atem bit his lip, urging his heart to not sink in his chest.

He couldn’t help the flutters of uncertainty that sprung up every now and then, when something less than perfect happened. His mind seemed only too happy to supply him with fake scenarios of what could be happening, all things Atem knew deep down to be untrue, but couldn’t help but grow anxious about.

Things that made him question if he truly was a good enough partner for Yugi.

These thoughts were nothing new to him, and even to Yugi, as Atem had voiced them before, too worried their perfect little bubble might burst with his worries. Yugi had, more than once, and always with the patience of a king, explained that Atem was a wonderful partner and Yugi didn’t regret any moment spent with him.

Despite that he was only a lieutenant, and Yugi was admiral of an entire _ship_ of people, with far more responsibilities and weights on his shoulders.

 _But Yugi doesn’t care about that, he told you_ , Atem chastised himself, fisting his hands by his side as a distraction. _He likes me… he does, I know…_ He felt stupid, for constantly needing the reassurance that Yugi wanted him around, that his worries of not being worthy of the attention were nothing more than scattered pickings his brain tried to confuse him with.

He glanced to the side as he passed a cross section of pathways. He skidded to a stop, changing paths abruptly to where he had just noticed Anzu walking around.

“Anzu! Have you seen Yugi?” he asked her. He was surprised to see her milling around here, as she usually spent her time on the bridge or in an office space in a level close by.

“Yugi? Probably on the bridge, or heading to his chambers, at this time of night,” Anzu shrugged, giving him a questioning look. “You don’t need me to tell you that, though.”

“I know, but I can’t find him. And I checked the bridge and his chambers already. I figured you might know something more, being his oldest friend.”

“Huh…” Anzu tapped her foot, brows scrunching up. “Well… I guess he could be down in the loading bay?”

“Which one?”

“The… out of commission one, where the junk sits.”

“Why would he be down there?”

Anzu shrugged in way of an answer.

“A question to ask him, I suppose?” Atem grunted.

“It’s not my decision to make. Sorry, Atem.”

“All right, I guess I’ll check it out then. Thanks, Anzu!” Atem waved to her before pivoting back around, jogging down the corridor.

He travelled back down the path he had come through, swerving off towards the elevators. He took one down to the loading docks, and went the opposite way than normal; heading towards the less used area at the back of the ship.

He passed the out of bounds sign warning to not continue, and stopped at a closed door at the end of the hallway.

The door parted, much to his surprise, into a dim room, but Atem could immediately tell it was massive.

The faint lights lining the walls gave the diameter a wide floor, although most of them were obscured by stacks of piled up old tools and mechanics.

He was more than relieved when he noticed Yugi’s wild locks and crisp signature jacket in the distance.

“Yugi! There you are!” Atem couldn’t hide the relief from his voice, smiling widely.

Yugi turned around, smiling back at him. “Atem, you sound like you haven’t seen me in years,” he laughed, although there was worry in his expression. “Are you all right?”

“I’ve been looking for you. Did you forget about tonight?” Atem asked, unable to stop himself.

Yugi hummed loudly, finger pressed to his chin. “ _Oh_!” his eyes widened, and he immediately gave Atem an apologetic expression. “I am _so_ sorry Atem. We had dinner tonight… I fucked up.”

“No, it’s all right. You’re barely late, anyway. It’s just, well, I was worried when I couldn’t find you…”

“Oh. No, I would _never_ ditch a date with you Atem. Don’t even think it.” Yugi stepped forward to wrap his arms around Atem’s waist, and Atem melted into Yugi’s grip.

He brought his own hands to Yugi’s back, pressing fingers against the jacket fabric, while his nose dipped into Yugi’s neck, over his choker. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I should have kept a closer eye on the time. It’s not your fault.” Yugi whispered, stroking a hand over Atem’s shoulder blades before breaking away.

As Yugi let go, his eyes drifting to the side, Atem followed his gaze to find his eyes widen.

At the far end of the dock sat a giant mecha. It was one of the old ones, resembling Kaiba’s in form and appearance.

Except this one felt much more dark, so much so Atem swore it was watching him, despite him not being able to see its glass eyes.

This one was bulkier, with more width than the Blue-Eyes, and coloured a deep black that blended too well with its surrounding support stands. The only way he could tell what was mech and what was catwalks was from the faint shine of the steel the metal gave off.

Atem let his eyes drift upwards, to where the mech was shrouded in shadows, its face and wing tips almost impossible to see in the low light.

“So… I’ve never actually… been down here to see your mech before. It’s your mech, right?”

Yugi stiffened, his arms slowly curling over one another as he glanced at the mecha. “Yeah. This is Gandora. I guess I’ve never introduced you, have I?”

“No, I haven’t had the pleasure.”

Yugi scoffed, his gaze turning hard. “It’s barely a pleasantry. He’s an asshole, and you’re better than him.”

“You make your mech sound like an angry ex,” Atem observed, meaning it jokingly.

“He might as well be. Never leaves me alone and is incredibly jealous of my current boyfriend.”

Atem laughed, unable to stop himself. “Your mech is jealous of me? Now I know you’re making this up to make me feel better.”

Yugi paused, lips parted. He shuffled his hands around before letting them drop to his sides, and shrugged. “Did it work?”

“Well, I’m definitely feeling lighter than before.”

“That’s good,” Yugi smiled. His eyes drifted back to the mech, his lips dipping almost immediately.

“People say there was an accident,” Atem started. “And that’s what stopped you going out. Is it… did it happen?”

“Atem… you know I don’t want to talk about it.” Yugi glanced down, and Atem could tell he had hit a nerve.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Yugi sighed, stepping up to Atem’s side and pecking him on the cheek. “I know it must be hard, having to deal with me and my… past. But please, Atem. I want to look to the future; _our_ future. Not my old mistakes. Please let me leave that behind.”

“If that’s what you feel is best, Yugi, I can only do my best to support you,” Atem said, taking Yugi’s hand in his own. He kissed the knuckles, and Yugi turned his hand to cup Atem’s cheek.

“Thank you…” he led Atem forward to press their lips together, and Atem’s heart fluttered.

He pushed back against Yugi, hands sliding around Yugi’s neck and head tilting to deepen their connection.

Yugi hummed against his lips, tongue wriggling out to lick over Atem’s. Atem parted his, and Yugi’s tongue slipped inside.

The slick sound of their lips sliding against each other sounded louder in the echo of the huge chamber, but Atem couldn’t care, too absorbed in how each of those sounds was a moment he was sharing with Yugi, and only Yugi.

Yugi pulled back abruptly, throwing a dark look towards the far wall.

“Yugi?”

“It’s nothing, sorry. Just thought I heard something,” Yugi smiled. “Don’t want Jou to be sneaking around taking photos of us kissing again now do we?”

“Oh gods, yes, not again,” Atem groaned.

“Let’s head off to that dinner then shall we?” Yugi tugged him forward, and Atem let Yugi lead him out of the room. He suppressed a shiver, realising how cold it felt in the bay.

He couldn’t help but feel like a chill passed through the air, and that it should worry him more than it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There he is,,,,,, //clutches chest. My boi,,,, my dragon son,,,,,,  
> I honestly don't remember the chapter by chapter play of this fic since it's been a while since I read thru it, so uploading these chapters is an adventure for me too finding out which scenes each has lmao.


	4. Chapter 4

Atem’s breakfast with Yugi was cut short that next morning, Seto’s irritating voice calling for him down in the hanger bay.

It seemed that their mission was upon them.

“You probably shouldn’t keep him waiting,” Yugi commented, rolling his coffee mug around before taking a sip.

“I shouldn’t,” Atem agreed with a sigh. “But he should know he’s interrupting the most important part of my day.”

Yugi’s lips pulled up. “Seto doesn’t care for tender moments, unless it’s with his brother. And even then, he won’t force others to wait for him over it.”

“How dreary,” Atem grunted, sliding out of his chair. He swerved around the table to peck Yugi on the cheek. “I’ll see you soon, love. Take care.”

“Be safe,” Yugi replied. “I’ll be keeping watch back here.”

Atem nodded, leaving the room. He swung by his quarters, slipping into his jumpsuit before trekking down to the hanger bay their ships sat in.

He took a moment to walk by his ship, admiring the handiwork of the technicians on it. They had patched it up, the hull shiny with the texture of a sleek new covering. _Another few thousands of dollars,_ Atem mused. It was the kind of stuff he had only dreamed of planet side, where he had scraped together enough for basic paint jobs, protective coats being a thing of dreams.

 _But that was for dirt races, not space combat,_ Atem thought.

“Let’s go, Sennen!” Seto barked at him, and Atem glanced over to see him disappearing into the head of his mech.

A look over in the opposite direction told him Jou was doing the same, the lights of the Red-Eyes already aglow with a successful link.

He climbed up into his own ship, taking less time to set up since he didn’t have to go through the process of linking with the ship’s interface. He strapped in, booted up the systems, and disconnected from the flagship’s grip.

Once they were all ready for flight in the outside dock, they shot out of the hanger bay, the flagship soon nothing more than a blip on their radars.

“ _So do we know if Bakura’s bringing an army to this place or...?_ ” Jou asked suddenly, his face appearing in the side of Atem’s window view.

“ _There might be others, but I suspect we might encounter him alone_. _He’s never indicated he’s had friends before.”_ Seto answered, appearing opposite.

“ _But the guy’s not stupid enough to take us all on at once_ again _, is he?”_ Jou asked.

“Who knows, this is Bakura. He has proven to be hard to predict, and harder to kill.” Atem commented.

_“I’m sure all three of us could take Bakura by himself, though. He may be tough, but his mech against ours? With Atem’s expert skills? He won’t stand a chance!”_

“ _Either way,_ _I’ll personally strip your ships if either of you screws this up,”_ Seto said.

“ _Something tells me Yugi won’t approve of you doing that to millions of dollars of government property.”_ Jou replied.

“ _He’ll have to deal, it’ll be a punishment_.”

Yugi’s voice smoothly cut in, reminding them all he could hear everything. “ _If a punishment is required, I will deal with it as per my rank demands, Captain Kaiba. Stop tormenting my Lieutenants_. _They are out there with you for a reason, and you should remember that.”_

Seto grunted, but didn’t respond. They lapsed into silence, each focusing on their own ships. Atem gave his systems a quick test run through, checking that everything would be up to standard for battle. He was sure Bakura would be there to challenge them, probably pissed that they were engaging him for once, as opposed to his mostly unannounced drop ins while they were out on patrol.

A few hours of fast flying later had them at the right sector. A few quick scans from all of their ships showed the area to be empty of energy signatures. Bakura wasn’t there yet.

“ _I know it looks empty, but we all know Bakura has good cloaking technology. Keep your scanners on a constant search in case he messes up. Even if it’s only for a split second, I want someone’s ship to pick it up_.”

“Roger,” Atem replied, flicking the dials to allow constant scanning. He heard Jou mumble something similar from his mech.

“ _Now, Bakura could already be here, or he could be on his way,”_ Seto continued. “ _We don’t know why he’s here, just that he’ll be around. We wait for him, make no sudden moves. We don’t want to scare him off-_ ”

“ _Well, well, well, the angel squad arrives to greet me!”_ Bakura’s voice cackled through their lines, and Atem couldn’t stop the groan that escaped with it. _So much for scaring him away, Seto, he was practically waiting for us._

“ _Expecting someone else?”_ Seto replied dryly.

“ _Oh, maybe, maybe. But who I’m sure you’d love to know. That’s okay! I have time to play, boys,_ ” Bakura drawled.

They heard him before they saw him, his mech letting out a robotic roar that crackled through the speakers. It shot into view, wings spread wide and metal jaw wide open. _I’ll never understand why these mechs have to look like that_ , Atem thought, gritting his teeth. Was the human structure really necessary? And the hybrid tail? He preferred the dragons.

“ _Let’s dance_ ,” Bakura said, his mech crossing its arms in a bold gesture, as if to mimic Bakura doing the same in the cockpit.

Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes launched forward, their powerful boosters closing the distance in no time at all. It left Atem to bring up the rear, missiles on the standby while Jou and Seto began the assault.

Bakura was good at battling with the odds against him, it seemed, as he managed to dance around both the Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes. He kept them both at arm’s length, and when one looked like it would get close enough to rake claws up Diabound’s side, Bakura would spin his mech just out of reach.

Atem watched from a distance, marking their patterns and working out a way he could reach Bakura without risking friendly fire.

An opening appeared between the Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes, their wings pushing them apart just enough for a ship as small as Atem’s to sneak through.

 _I can make it,_ Atem thought, pushing his ship forward.

He flew sideways through Jou and Seto’s mechs, using the wings to hide his advances.

It seemed to work, as he got a few shots off on Bakura, the bullets landing in Diabound’s hull.

“ _Aren’t we the little hero?”_ Bakura barked at him, devilish grin splitting his face as it popped into view on the Magician’s monitor.

 _Shit!_ Atem realised his mistake seconds too late; he had left himself open to attack, leaving Seto and Jou’s mechs behind like that!

He was too slow to pull back. Diabound’s claws scraped along Atem’s ship’s hull, pushing the entire spacecraft backwards. Diabound barely flexed any joints as it moved, the Magician little more than a mere play toy to it. Atem jolted in his chair, hands fumbling for keys to run damage reports.

The wound didn’t seem as deep as he would expect, and he noticed Diabound leaping back hastily.

Atem’s view was suddenly surrounded by brilliant shades of white and blue.

The back ridges of the Blue-Eyes covered his field of vision, the wings burning their power to hover in front of him.

The mech gave a piercing, animalistic roar, head swinging around to regard Atem. He was sure Kaiba had purposely increased the voice output for that one.

Atem could swear he was staring right into a creature’s gaze in that shiny panel, not a piece of machinery.

He remembered how to breathe once the mech shot past, and Seto’s voice screamed down the line at him.

“ _Sennen, pull yourself together! I’ll be dammed if I let the admiral’s boy toy die out here!_ ”

“Jealous?” Atem shot back, gripping the handles and slamming them forward. His ship lurched before the thrusters kicked in, and then he was soaring towards the Blue-Eyes.

“ _Hardly,_ ” Seto snorted. “ _Stay by my side, on the left. When I tell you to fire, you fire_.”

“Yes sir.”

He wavered by the Blue-Eyes’ side while his thrusters burned harshly to keep up with the vastly superior mech. Diabound turned to face them, arms raised as the beams in his palms glowed with a dangerous light.

“ _Scatter Sennen!”_ Seto ordered. Atem was already well on his way to fulfilling those orders, changing the trajectory of his boosters.

His ship rolled out of the way just as Diabound fired. Electricity shot past him, and he saw his sensors going haywire at the close call. He could deal with warning alarms blaring at him; it meant the ship was still working, after all.

He pressed a button to illuminate a side panel on his cockpit, showing him a scan of the area. Blue-Eyes had veered in the opposite direction and returned fire, a stream of light passing through his vision.

He righted the ship to bring Bakura and Seto back into his window view. Bakura’s left flank was bared to him.

He noticed the Red-Eyes floating idly close by, and for a brief moment fear flashed through him that something had happened to Jou. Then he saw the giant head turn towards him, and it _nodded_.

“Jou please, you can just radio me you’re okay,” Atem sighed, placing a hand over his heart. He could feel the flutter of his beat faster than before, and breathed deeply.

“ _But she’s so cute when she does that_ ,” Jou cackled.

 _Who?_ Atem blinked, before remembering Jou’s strange method he referred to his mech as. “We need to go help Seto. While Bakura is distracted, we come in from the left.”

“ _Roger! Lead the way buddy!”_

Atem dragged the throttle handles forward, reaching up to flick several switches above him. The ship hummed in response, thrusters repositioning themselves to Atem’s orders.

He pulled forward, nose driving towards where Diabound and Blue-Eyes were dancing around.

Seto was clearly trying to get close enough to claw at Diabound’s armour, no doubt to try and break a few vital systems, but Diabound was meeting each of Seto’s movements with ones of his own. He was keeping Seto at bay with well-timed strikes and whips of his own, his longer tail making a far more effective weapon than Seto’s dragon’s.

So far Bakura was so busy taunting Seto down the line he hadn’t bothered to acknowledge Atem and Jou approaching. _Good, let his arrogance be his downfall._

“You ready, Jou?”

“ _The light’s green! Go!_ ”

Atem shot a missile with the intent to hit Diabound’s left wing, but the wing snapped back in time to let the bullet shoot past.

“ _Nice try, fool,”_ Bakura sneered.

Luckily, Atem had expected as much.

The missile was little more than a distraction, and Bakura seemed to realise this as Jou’s Red-Eyes appeared behind him, dragging its deadly talons up the spine of the mech.

“ _Fuck you, bastard!”_ Bakura screamed through their coms.

“I got other people for that, but thanks for the offer!” Jou barked back, a cackle coming through. Atem heard the barely contained sigh of Seto, and he laughed himself.

“ _This isn’t over!”_ Bakura snarled, his mech’s body suddenly twisting around. The wings suddenly burnt red, and he shot away. Atem saw Jou move to pursue, but Seto’s voice stopped him.

“ _Leave him_ ,” the staticy tone said. “ _If we follow, he’s sure to lead us into a trap. We stay on this side of the system_.”

Jou grunted before his line cut off, and the Red-Eyes swerved around. Its thrusters lazily pulled it forward, until both dragons were hovering around Atem’s smaller ship.

“You okay Atem?” Jou asked, his face appearing on one of Atem’s side views of the cockpit on a pop up monitor.

“Just fine, nothing’s broken.”

“ _Except maybe your pride_ ,” Seto drawled, his face popping up opposite Jou’s. “ _You can cry to yourself later, Sennen. We might as well patrol the area before heading back._ ”

“But my ship sustained a lot of damage,” Atem argued. “It could give out if I don’t get back soon.”

“ _Tough luck, those are Yugi’s orders_.”

“Is that true?” Atem asked, knowing Yugi would be listening in.

“ _Affirmative. I need the area swept before I can clear you passage back_. _While you shouldn’t chase Bakura, you should check if there’s anything else lurking by_ ,” Yugi sounded apologetic, and Atem could almost picture the sad smile on his face. “ _If you think your ship can’t handle it, stand by while Jou and Seto make the round_.”

Atem gritted his teeth, knowing Seto was smirking at him from how his display had dropped away. “I can finish the mission, admiral.”

“ _Very well._ ” Yugi’s voice dropped out, leaving Atem to stare at Jou’s screen.

He shrugged his shoulders helplessly, and Atem rolled his eyes. “Let’s just finish this off.”

They split up, keeping radio and transmissions up while they each checked over the rest of the sector. This area of the galaxy held nothing much of interest, not even an inhabited planet to boast. There were a few dwarf planets floating further out, but most of them bordered on another sector, and their atmospheres were toxic at best. Seto didn’t bother checking them, figuring if Bakura was mad enough to settle on one, then he’d let the planet finish him off.

As Atem combed through his section, he could feel the way his ship jittered, a creak in the metal somewhere that groaned like a boat on high seas. _Not the most reassuring sound in space,_ he thought. The scanners all brought back safe indications, but he made sure to keep his life support close by, in case Bakura had worked something into the system. He wouldn’t be surprised if he had invented some new way to fuck with them since their last encounter.

A screen blinked to life on his cockpit monitor, a passage of text to his left.

 _Are you all right?_ The message read. Atem knew immediately who it was from.

 _As fine as I can be, Yugi. No damage personally,_ Atem replied, keeping one hand on a throttle while the other tapped the screen.  

_Your system shows no hits physically, but I meant mentally. That was a close call._

“Ah.” Atem should have remembered Yugi had access to all of their vitals through their suit links. _I’m fine, I promise. It’s not the first time Bakura’s tried to take a shot at me._

_I’m worried._

_Don’t be._

_That just makes me worry more._

_Yugi I’m fine, I promise._

_I’m going to mother you when you get back and you will not stop me._

_So long as you don’t sit on me,_ Atem chuckled, before lighting up to quickly type another message.

_Unless it’s a certain kind of sitting ; )_

There was a pause before Yugi replied.

_God damn it Atem you know you can’t make me laugh on the bridge!!_

_You’re right, you can only laugh when I’m there to see your face light up._

_Grumbles._

_I can’t believe you typed that phft._

_I’m leaving now, you’re clearly in good health._

_Anddddd?_

_And I reserve judgement on the sitting._

_; ) ; ) ; )_

_Stop winking at me > : (_

_B )_

_You don’t even wear sunglasses! Get back to work you dork!_

_Fine fine. Listen I gotta go the admiral is pestering me to ‘get back to work’._

_I fucking wonder WHY._

The chat dropped, and Atem found himself with a huge grin plastered over his face. It suddenly reopened and Atem blinked in surprise.

 _Get home safe you dork,_ the message read before it disappeared once more. Atem smiled fondly at the screen, thumbing over his ship’s interface.

“ _Are you two done yet?”_ Seto’s bored tone drawled.

“ _Done here_ ,” Jou replied.

“Same,” Atem said.

“ _Good, let’s get the fuck back to base then_.” Seto grunted, and the Blue-Eyes appeared on Atem’s horizon.

He turned his ship in the same direction, and Jou’s Red-Eyes joined them to head back to the flagship.

* * *

There was a team of technicians waiting for Atem when he landed, descending upon his ship once he had left the cockpit.

He couldn’t fault them their rush, he _had_ left the ship in bad shape. It must be a mechanics nightmare to see a piece of work so easily destroyed. It wasn’t much better for Atem, who loved his ship dearly.

 _Sorry, partner,_ he rested on the catwalk attached to his ship for a moment, hand stroking the rough hull. _Didn’t mean to let Bakura get that slice in. I’ll do better next time, I promise._

He turned away, thinking for a second that he had heard a chorus of staticky hums, as if in agreement with him. He shook it off, rubbing his forehead with a groan. _Damn Bakura really did a number on us, this ringing in my head is awful._

He stepped away at an annoyed glare from one of the mechanics, smiling apologetically. It looked like everyone was on edge, like they were aware they were being watched closely.

It became evident why when Atem turned to see Yugi on the ground.

He descended to the floor, walking with as much restraint as he could muster. He stopped a few steps from Yugi, giving a salute.

“Admiral.”

“Lieutenant.” Yugi replied politely. He nodded, and Atem let his hand drop. He could see the way Yugi wanted to say more, but waited until both Jou and Seto had been disconnected and joined them.

“Let’s go, I won’t have this conversation here.” Yugi pivoted around and strode off, leaving the three of them to scurry after him.

For such short legs, Yugi knew how to keep a wicked pace.

In the middle of a vacant corridor, Yugi suddenly rounded on Seto, his eyes ablaze.

“Seto, do not speak to Atem as you did before. I have warned you of this.” Yugi said, his voice low and his eyes dark underneath his hat. Being that much shorter than Seto, Yugi had to tilt his gaze up to look at him, but it only served to make Yugi that much more intimidating, his gaze hard in the brim’s shadow.

“Whatever,” Seto rolled his eyes, storming off.

“Remember you’re on duty tomorrow while I’m gone!”

Jou jabbed a thumb at where Seto had disappeared through a door, shaking his head in disbelief. “He does know he can get fired if he talks to you like that, right?”

“He knows his limits, but he still does as he’s told, so it’s not a big deal,” Yugi replied, patting Jou’s shoulder. “Thanks for keeping the team together as always, Jou.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Jou chuckled, scrunching a hand over Yugi’s hat to muss up the hair underneath. “But what’s this I hear about going somewhere?”

Yugi grunted at him, stepping away to straighten his cap. He replied with, “We’re going planet side to Menet tomorrow. I have a meeting, and I figured after this fight with Bakura, you could all use a day off.”

“Nice!” Jou cheered. “I’m assuming Honda can come too? He’s feeling pretty left out having to hang with the technicians all day.”

“Of course he can,” Yugi nodded.

“Awesome! Well, I’ll see you lovebirds later then!” Jou gave them a wave before strutting off down the corridor.

It left Atem and Yugi alone once more, and as Atem turned to comment as much to Yugi, he felt the words die on his tongue. Yugi had his hands clenching by his sides, and Atem thought for a split second that he would be slapped. But instead, Yugi rushed forward to wrap his arms around Atem’s waist, crushing him against him.

“Idiot,” Yugi hissed, squeezing harder.

“I know, sorry,” Atem sighed, bringing his arms up around Yugi’s neck, sliding under the jacket’s collar to stroke the soft leather of Yugi’s choker.

He felt Yugi freeze up as he brushed over the nape, and he flinched. “Oh, shit, sorry Yugi.” He pulled away to guiltily stare at Yugi.

“I-It’s fine,” Yugi coughed, releasing his grip on Atem to rub at his wrists.

Atem didn’t miss a beat, scooping one of Yugi’s hands into his own and kissing over the braces covering the wrists. He rubbed it lightly before picking up Yugi’s other hand and doing the same.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, moving further down to put his lips to Yugi’s knuckles.

Yugi sighed, but there was no fight in his posture. “Atem, I’m sorry, I-”

“No no,” Atem interrupted. “No apologies. Only kisses.”

“But-”

“Only kisses,” Atem repeated, driving the point home with another kiss, this time to Yugi’s palm.

“I’m supposed to be the one mothering you, not the other way around. You’re not getting away from that too, by the way.”

“Oh dear, a boyfriend who mothers me, the horror,” Atem rolled his eyes playfully. Yugi smacked him on the arm.

“Shut up, you know you’ll get your way tonight anyway,” Yugi stuck his tongue out. “So you might as well sit through this and deal.”

“Oh? Going to make good on the sitting promise?” Atem gave Yugi his best smug look, to which Yugi burst out laughing at.

“You’re not Seto, Atem! Please, stick to the dopey grins and smiles.”

“You think they’re dopey?” Atem gasped. “The truth comes out at last!”

“No, no! They’re fine, I just-”

“He _hates_ me,” Atem gave his best fake wail, wiping non-existent tears from his eyes. “Oh gods above, what will I do? The greatest love of my life hates me, nothing is worth it anymore.”

“ _Atem_.”

“Even the way he says my name is a mockery.”

“Hey! That’s not-”

“My big gay heart cannot take this!” Atem rapidly blinked his eyes, holding a cheek in a hand.

Yugi mumbled something before spinning Atem around, and suddenly his back was against the wall and Yugi was pressing his lips to his.

He made a sound of surprise into Yugi’s mouth, which quickly dissolved into soft pants as their lips moved against each other. Yugi’s tongue licked over his bottom lip, taking it between his teeth to roll and nibble on softly.

Hands moved against his hips, and Atem brought his own up to desperately thread through Yugi’s hair, tugging him impossibly closer.

When they broke apart minutes later, Yugi looked smug, and Atem just flashed him a lustful look. “Someone’s impatient.”

“Like you aren’t,” Yugi scoffed, crossing his arms with a pointed look downward. Atem flushed.

He pushed off the wall, eyes trailing over Yugi’s hands. He gently tugged one out, bringing it up and touching the brace lightly.

“Can these come off, this time?” Atem asked, hopeful despite how he knew he would be shot down once again.

Yugi’s expression sobered, and he glanced away. It was all the answer Atem needed.

“That’s okay, I don’t mind kissing them as well.” Atem pressed his nose into the rough fabric, scratching his skin against it. “I shouldn’t have asked, sorry.”

“No, it’s me, not you. I’m sorry.”

“Mmm, don’t be, it’s fine. The last thing I would ever want is to make you uncomfortable, Yugi.”

“It’s not… It’s not your fault, I’m just-”

“Don’t say it, you’re _fine_ ,” Atem looked up, pinning Yugi with a frown. “You’re more than fine, you’re beautiful, smart, gorgeous, a wonderful man.”

“Atem…”

“No, it’s been decided. You’re gorgeous and you don’t have a say in that. Tonight is now officially dedicated to showing you that.”

Yugi raised a brow questioningly.

“With soft kisses and lots of love,” Atem grinned, leaning closer. “And love making.”

“Oh, interesting. Well, why don’t you show me these soft kisses and this love making then?”

“Nothing would make me happier, love.” Atem purred, one hand slipping around Yugi’s waist to tug him in the direction of the elevators.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boi the start of the space fights lmao,,,,,  
> Also my fav scene is in this chapter yeah BOI that little text exchange with Yugi and Atem is my fav part B)


	5. Chapter 5

Atem rose early the next morning. He groggily pulled his mind out of the warmth of sleep, pushing himself up into a sitting position. There was an arm slung over his chest, having fallen into his lap by his movements. He smiled, giving it a soft rub above the bracer.

“Mmm where you going?” Yugi murmured, his head lifting enough to peek one eye lazily at Atem.

“Don’t we have to go planet side today?” Atem replied.

Yugi groaned, his expression dulling in seconds. “Fuck… we do too… augh.” He crawled up to sit next to Atem, leaning back on his thighs and rubbing his face.

“You could have arranged a later meeting,” Atem commented.

“No, it’s better to do this sooner than later. Besides, as much as I hate being up this early, Otogi equally hates it, so at least I get my revenge that way.”

Atem chuckled, leaning in for a small kiss before abandoning the cocoon of warm blankets.

They ate breakfast quickly and changed, Yugi going formal military wear for his meeting, and Atem in something more casual, with his signature jacket slung over his shoulders.

They took a cargo ship down to the surface of Menet, their flagship already hovering above it, having arrived over the planet overnight.

Atem sat between Jou and Yugi on the ride down, leaning closer to Yugi. Honda and Anzu were on the opposite wall. He felt Yugi’s warm hand on his, and their fingers interlaced together. Atem smiled softly to himself, knowing Yugi was doing the same without even watching him.

The transport ship soon landed within the atmosphere, and they touched down not long after. Yugi went first, his fingers leaving Atem’s as he exited the vehicle. Everyone else then filed out after him, coming out onto the docking platform. It was raised from ground level on an incline, which gave them a panoramic view of the city to appreciate.

The sweeping skyscrapers were a beauty to behold with their dazzling glass windows and brilliant paint coats, but Atem also found himself longing for the modest buildings of his home town. He knew they wouldn’t have time to visit what he considered to be the place he woke up in, but he was willing to settle for being able to visit the planet again.

He noticed Yugi watching him, turning to smile at him.

“Good to be back?” Yugi smiled. He knew Atem wasn’t actually from this city, but he had come here and spoken of it often enough that Yugi knew his feelings. Menet’s central location in its sector made it easy for them to travel to, unless they were pushed further out on patrol. Mostly, though, they stayed close, some project Yugi was required to visit was at a base here, and it was easier for him to be able to pop in when the flagship drifted somewhere in space nearby.

“Sort of,” Atem admitted. “It’s a beautiful city, but I have no life here, no friends. It’s nice to visit, but my home is on the flagship now. With you.”

“No desire to return?”

“It’s all just memories in the past,” Atem sighed, letting himself just breathe the planet’s air.

Yugi was silent, the breeze playfully rustling his bangs. Atem reached out, twirling one of the strands between his fingers. Yugi’s eyes were on his, watching him. Atem smiled warmly, abandoning the bangs in favour of touching Yugi’s cheek.

He wished he could reach out to kiss him, but the pressure of being back in public once again was too much, and he retracted his hand.

The others had already began to walk off, but Yugi whistled loudly, striding down to join them on a more ground level platform. Atem followed him, pausing by Yugi’s side.

“All right guys, I need to leave you here,” Yugi said, his hands sliding into his jacket pockets.

“Admiral business?” Anzu asked.

“Afraid so,” Yugi grunted. “I’m needed at a base over the other side of town. The sooner I get it done, the sooner I can get back to my regular boring stuff.”

“Ohh, extra secret admiral stuff,” Jou waggled his eyebrows, and Yugi snorted.

“Yup, so my lips are sealed,” he smirked.

“Aw man, we never get the fun info,” Jou whined.

“Jou, you pilot one of the government’s greatest projects,” Atem pointed out.

“Yeah, but I still get told to ‘go here’, ‘shoot this ship, ‘make sure you don’t press too hard on the accelerator’ like come on!” He turned to Yugi, clasping his hands in front of him. “Swap with me, Yug’?”

“Oh no, I’ve done my time in one of those. You swap with some other admiral.” Yugi crossed his arms.

“You’re the only one in this entire sector!” Jou protested.

Yugi smirked. “That’s how it goes, Jou.”

“You don’t want his job anyway, Jou,” Anzu spoke up, jerking a thumb at Yugi. “You have hours of paperwork and reading that comes with the career. And you have to deal with Seto _twice_ as much.”

Jou’s eyes widened, and he shook his head rapidly, backing away. “Yeah on second thought, you can keep it Yug’!”

Yugi chuckled, slipping his phone out of a pocket. His grin dropped, and he sighed, pocketing it again. “Well I need to actually go now. I’ll message Anzu when I’m done and we can meet up somewhere once I’m done checking in,” Yugi nodded to Anzu, who nodded back. He then turned to Atem, flashing a warm smile. “Have fun.”

Atem stepped forward to kiss Yugi goodbye, but he felt everyone’s gaze burning into him, so he just smiled at Yugi instead, and Yugi trotted away on his business.

“When the admiral is away, the soldiers will play!” Jou grinned, tossing Honda a wink, who grinned back.

“That just screams trouble for us,” Anzu groaned, throwing Atem a look.

“The suffering of the responsible ones, I suppose,” Atem mused with her.

They set off where Jou and Honda were running around, walking slower, but still keeping an eye on them.

As they walked through the city, Atem couldn’t help but glance around. He noticed people walking closely together, some hand in hand, while others had partners clinging to them. _Partners_ , he realised, watching them enviously. 

He wanted nothing more than to be one of these cute couples, latched onto Yugi’s arm and chattering to him excitedly while walking through a beautiful park.

Quaint looking cafes were tucked into the bottom of large office-like buildings, the dull murmurings of conversations rising up from all around them. Atem could almost imagine sitting down to eat lunch at one, staring across a table at Yugi. _I wish we could have that,_ Atem sighed wistfully. He knew they couldn’t, though, and especially not in such a public place. Yugi wasn’t allowed to have a public relationship outside of space; even what they did now wasn’t considered proper, and they were lucky they were even allowed to be together.

 _One day, I’ll take him out in public though,_ Atem vowed to himself. _And we can go on dates like everyone else._

“Something on your mind?” Anzu’s voice interrupted his train of thought.

“Just thinking about Yugi and I,” Atem smiled.

Anzu’s gaze flickered around them, taking in the area. “Oh,” she said, realisation dawning in her tone and face. “You know I’m sure Yugi would love to go out like this with you too.”

“But we can’t.” Atem felt his smile drop.

“Maybe one day you can,” Anzu said. “But you’re lucky, you know. Yugi went through a lot to be able to stay in a relationship with you.”

“I know, and I’m so grateful he fought so hard for me,” Atem flushed, ducking his head to hide the smile spreading his face. Yugi really had gone above and beyond to stay with him, and Atem felt so lucky to have him in his life.

He turned to comment to Jou, wondering why he hadn’t broken in with some fun fact about Yugi’s sex life in the academy, only to realise Jou wasn’t actually there.

Neither was Honda. They had both slipped off, it seemed.

“Hey, where’s Jou-”

“Guys! Hey! Hey Atem, check this out!” Jou hollered, rushing towards him and Anzu. He was waving something around in his hand, a sheet of paper by the look of it.

 _Speak of the devil,_ Atem mused, seeing Honda jogging behind to keep up.

“What is it?” Atem asked, plucking the sheet from Jou once he bounced close enough.

Atem scanned the contents of the page, which wasn’t much from how a giant picture of a motorbike took up over half of the sheet.

It was a flyer, he realised; for a bike race. No wonder Jou seemed so excited.

He felt a bubble grow in his chest as well, eyes soaking in all the details. It was today, in a few hours. They could make this, it wasn’t too far away.

“Jou?” he asked, eyes flickering up to see Jou pause. He got Atem’s silent message immediately, nodding enthusiastically.

“You bet! Honda and I are tag teaming it!”

Atem felt electricity race under his fingertips, and he gripped the flyer tighter. “Please allow me to come too.”

“Of course,” Jou grinned, like he knew Atem was going to ask that the moment he handed over the sheet.

Anzu coughed obviously beside them, and they turned. Atem realised she probably read all of their secretive messages as well.

“You know Yugi isn’t going to like this,” she pointed out. “And the fact it’s _illegal_ here.”

“I’ll just watch.” Atem said.

“Well, our good admiral doesn’t have to know now does he?” Jou waggled his eyebrows, and Anzu sighed loudly.

“Look, I won’t tell him, but if your race isn’t done by the time he comes looking for you all, I’m not above pointing him in the right direction.”

“Aw come on Anzu,” Jou whined, doing his best to look imploring.

“Katsuya your face puppy dog face does nothing to appeal your situation,” Anzu scoffed, rolling her eyes. “If you get caught, I’m not to blame. I’ve given you fair warning, this is on you guys.” Her eyes moved to Atem as she spoke, and Atem lowered his gaze.

Jou’s arm slipped around his shoulder, tugging him in some direction. “Come on bud! We’ll be in and out before anyone even knows! And besides, we work a _lot_ , it’s about time we had a de-stressing activity!”

“I… guess that’s true,” Atem smiled shakily at him, allowing Jou to lead him down some dusty path.

They turned off the main roads, the tarmac and concrete fading away to dirt trails. The buildings of the city slowly grew more sparse and smaller, and woodland began to dominate the scene. They were heading into the surrounding forests. A mountain was just visible looming in the distance.

“You been here before?” Jou tapped the page Atem still held, breaking away to walk beside him instead of leaning on him.

“This location seems newer,” Atem replied. “Back when I raced, the set ups were never around the city like this. It used to be quite a drive away, and most of the races I was in were near my home town. Much smaller events.”

“Probably got disbanded over the years you were in space.”

“Probably.”

More people began to filter in through the trees. _We must be heading in the right direction,_ Atem thought, right before the trail widened out into a clearing.

People were milling around everywhere, bikes and equipment being dragged all over. Along the edges of the clearing makeshift stalls were set up, some selling stock from the back of caravans, while others had set up metal plates to hang merchandise on.

There was a shop nearby selling equipment. Atem gravitated towards it, his eyes drawn to a stack of jackets arranged in a row. He thumbed the material of one, the wrinkly leather feeling marvellous under his touch. _If I didn’t have such an amazing jacket already, I’d definitely consider this one,_ Atem thought.

The store owner was lingering nearby, watching him carefully, and Atem cleared his throat.  

“Got any goggles?” he asked, and the owner nodded, pointing to a makeshift stall wall. Goggles hung from nails in rows. Atem moved up to it, picking one up and trying them on. _These’ll do,_ he slid them off, paying for them with a few coins.

He caught sight of a tiny mirror hanging on the same wall, and immediately put the goggles back on. He readjusted his jacket and glanced at his reflection. _That’s going to look so cool with the wind whipping past,_ Atem grinned at his outfit.

He eyed a box full of gloves, letting out a soft sound of exclamation. _Almost forgot, don’t want to ruin my palms with the handles_ , he picked a pair out, stuffing them on and tossing more coins at the shopkeeper for them too.

Jou had stopped off to the side, waiting for him, while Honda seemed to have walked off. Atem could see Jou holding new sheets of paper.

“Registration?” he asked.

“Yup, went ahead and jotted you down too,” Jou grinned, holding out one of the sheets for him. “We still need bikes, though.”

“Wait, I told Anzu I would just watch. I really shouldn’t race.” Atem muttered uneasily, putting his goggles on to rest on his brow, swatting his bangs out of the way.

“Aw but it’ll be so fun! The thrill of the ride, the danger, I _know_ you’ll love it.”Jou replied. He paused suddenly, eyes widening.

“What?” Atem quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Dude! You look amazing!” Jou whistled, panning around Atem and scoping him out. “That jacket actually really suits your badass biker vibe. Looks like you’re in your element! You have to race, come on!”

“Well, not anymore. It’s been a long time since I raced, and for good reason.” Atem ducked his head, feeling his cheeks flush. “This is just… to reminisce, I suppose. I really shouldn’t, though. I promised Yugi I wouldn’t be so reckless anymore.”

“Hey, what Yugi doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Jou tossed him a wink. “Me and Honda have done plenty of things behind his back, and we’ve been doing them since before we went to the academy. Trust me, if he _does_ find out, he’ll get grumpy for a bit but then he’ll simmer down. Guy can’t stay angry at anyone, even when he tries. Grumpy, yes, but not grudge style angry.”

“This does not ease my nerves, Jounouchi. He is our commanding officer, too. We shouldn’t expect him to constantly turn a blind eye to our mishaps when others aren’t given the same treatment.”

“He’s not giving us special treatment because he doesn’t know we’re here. We will be in and out and back at the transport ship before he even realises it. Like I said, we do this all the time buddy.”

“I suppose if we’re fast… it won’t matter.”

“Well, gotta be fast to win, right?” Jou grinned. Atem smiled nervously back, but relented, letting Jou haul him off.

Honda chose that moment to return it seemed, and they all headed deeper into the forbidden grounds.

The crowds began to grow in mass the closer they got to the starting line, and the buzz of active technology surrounded them. Standing there in the middle of the crowd, people chatting excitedly all around him and placing bets, he saw a racer walking their bike through the throngs of spectators. He felt the thrill of the environment soak through him, electricity racing down his spine at the idea of holding a bike throttle between his fingers again.

Sure, the combat he could perform in his ship was excellent and exciting, but something just never felt right about it. It felt too rigid, too much like he was trapped in a metal box instead of at home in a pilot’s chair.

Racing had chased away that feeling more, back when he had driven land vehicles for the army, but there was still a kind of longing he couldn’t shake off.

“Where’s the bike rentals?” Jou muttered, scratching his chin as he glanced around.

“Rentals?” Atem enquired.

“Well, unless you want to take a chunk out of your paycheck to buy a bike from scratch, we’ll need to rent one.”

“Much cheaper,” Honda added.

“Ah, I see… I didn’t realise,” Atem said. “I just used to always ride my own.”

“That’s what happens when you own a bike, yeah,” Jou snorted.

“I think the rentals are by the mountain,” Honda pointed to the distant vague shape of a cave entrance, nestled into the side of the sprawling mountain.

“Seems legit, don’t want people stealing the old rust buckets,” Jou muttered.

They changed course towards the mountain, heading inside a shop with a rental sign and a picture of a bike on it.

It was in a wide cave, the same one Honda had pointed at. Rows and rows of bikes created a mess of paths between them. There were isles of smaller ones, arranged more like traditional, commercial motorbikes. At the other end, taking up much more space, were bulkier, huge bikes, looking much more like the kinds of space fighters they used. He thought some of them might even hover, or have incredibly well hidden wheels.

“Well, let’s all split up and look for suitable bikes,” Jou motioned to Honda. “Honda, you check out the two-seater ones, you know the ones with the joint cockpits?”

“Yeah I know.”

“Cool, I’ll check the tanks,” Jou turned back to Atem. “Good luck finding something to replace your old bike, Atem.”

“Thanks.”

Jou and Honda both split off down the isles of bikes, leaving Atem to wander off on his own.

He trailed down several of the paths, glancing over the bikes and touching handles every now and then, looking for something that felt right.

He hung around the smaller bikes, heading nowhere near where Jou and Honda had gone. He knew the kind he would want to pilot would be here, similar to how his old bike had looked.   

Something caught his eye; a flash of bright colour in the otherwise dull environment. He approached a section of bikes, peering over the sides of them all until he found what he had seen.

It was a tiny thing, hardly any protective metal anywhere, and what little plates it did have were solely to cover the engine, not the pilot at all. It was clearly built to be compact, and as aerodynamic as possible. There was no defence on it, only speed.

Atem pulled it away from the others, wheeling it out to give him a complete walk around of it. The paint was bright, very unusual, but very close to how he had built his around a similar theme.

 _Actually…_ Atem stopped circling it, stepping back to look at it side on. There was a strip of orange that ran down the side of the bike, following the plates and their interlocking pieces, never breaking off. It was like the horizon, with the bottom a solid sleek black and the top more faded shades of orange, and even some yellow.

 _Like a sunset…_ _Looks like my image wasn’t forgotten so easily,_ he remarked, tracing the pattern of the paint with his fingertips. It wasn’t the dusty reds his bike used to proudly carry, but it was similar, and he could tell it was done with love for the _Red Sunset’s_ motif. _His_ motif. _I wonder how long this one raced before it was cashed in here? I’m sure it’ll be amazing, regardless._

“Find any good ones?” Jou asked, coming to stand next to him.

“This one,” Atem breathed, hand sliding over a handle.

“That? It’s… kinda tiny. Real thin. One hit from anything and you’ll spin out.”

“Size isn’t everything,” Atem chuckled, and Jou spluttered. “Besides, this one feels right. It’s close to what my old racer used to look like. I like the orange.”

Jou gave the vehicle a walk around, scrutinising it. He didn’t look impressed. “I still think something bigger would work better.”

“For you two, perhaps, but I’m a solo rider. These models are faster than the stockier ones, and in a race, speed is your greatest ally.”

“I guess the pro would know, wouldn’t they?” Jou grinned, and Atem returned the gesture.

“The pro would know, yes. But, to be fair, I haven’t been an active racer for many years, so the formula might have changed a bit since then.”

“What’s there to it? You stick your foot down and go fast, dodge attacks from others.” Honda said, walking up to them.

“Hey man, don’t get him started,” Jou said, slapping Honda’s shoulder, jutting his head towards Atem.

Atem puffed his chest up. “I’ll have you know-”

“Hey Honda! Seen any good bikes? Let’s keep looking and leave Atem to his!” Jou leaped into action, grabbing Honda’s arms and pushing him away.

Atem just rolled his eyes, turning back to his chosen vehicle.

He paid for his rental and walked the bike out. He waited outside for Jou and Honda to finish, smoothing out his jacket and watching the crowds walking by.

He noticed a lot of people who looked like they came from the surrounding towns, the outfits they sported similar to kinds Atem himself had worn in his younger days. Others were clearly from the city here, and others yet wore fine looking silken materials not suited to this environment. They were clearly from other planets, ones he wasn’t familiar with. There were a lot of inhabited planets on the other side of the system that he had neither time nor the means to explore. His place was where the army wanted him, and that was in the darkness of space, fighting a mech controlling asshole.

He watched Jou and Honda pull up their bike beside him, both grinning wildly as Jou gestured widely to it.

“Here she is! The Red-Eyes Chick!”

“The… Red-Eyes Chick?” Atem quirked a brow.

“Yeah! Cause she’s smaller than my main girl.” Jou beamed.

“Hey, I never agreed to that name,” Honda pipped up.

“Too bad, you deal with it. I’m the driver, I do the naming.”

Honda grunted, but didn’t argue further. Atem figured one of them would be on guns, and as the more qualified one, it made sense Honda would be dealing with weaponry while Jou drove.

A loud crackling sound broke through the thrum of activity, a voice leaking through it.

“ _The race will be starting soon! All racers get to the starting line or get out!_ ”

“Well they’re to the point,” Jou grumbled. “Let’s go wreck some shit, then!”

The starting line was a strip of white paint over a well-worn dirt track. Crowds gathered on either side in makeshift stands.

They pulled their bikes into their starting positions. Jou and Honda were a few paces ahead, while Atem’s smaller bike was back further.

“Good luck buddy!” Jou called.

“We’ll be here to give you a run for your money!” Honda added.

“Right back at you!” Atem cheered. He slid down into the pilot’s chair, and it was like a filter immediately fell over his ears. All other sounds drifted away, becoming background noise.

He vaguely registered other riders starting their engines around him, and an announcer spewing nonsense to rile up the crowd.

“ _Are you all ready to scream and shout!?_ ”

The crowd cheered.

“ _Are you ready to watch this heart stopping adrenaline rush!?!_ ”

More shouts.

“ _Then let’s not wait any longer!_ ”

Atem felt the pounding of his blood in his ears, draining out all the other noise. He concentrated on the road ahead, the giant, glaring red light halting his advance.

The roar of the crowd was heating up, and he could tell, almost by instinct, that there were seconds until launch. He put his goggles down over his eyes, and cupped the handlebars.

“- _And go_!” Screams reached past his heartbeat, and the light burnt green.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Yugi section finally heck YE. So many of my current and recent fics have been from Atem's POV so I have more leeway with Yugi that I've found I rly miss writing from Yugi's POV ahaha. But it's a necessary sacrifice,,,,, but then I get moments like this where I get to come back to him for a bit! Enjoy the chapter! This was actually the first one I started writing from the whole fic! The bike racing was heavily inspired from Red Line, because that's what I was watching when I started writing the fic B) Rly good movie I definitely recommend!

It took a lot of effort on Yugi’s part not to look back as he left the group behind. He knew they were all friends, and it felt different to when he was on the bridge, or in the presence of other employees he didn’t consider friends. But it still felt… weird. Especially on top of the burning eyes of the crew going about the restocking, too present in the forefront of his mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling easily, like everyone watching him was silently judging him.

 _Sorry, Atem,_ he sighed, readjusting his hat and threading the loose bangs behind his ears. _I’ll have to make it up to you sometime soon._ He felt like he had some major spoiling to do for his boyfriend, for putting up with all the times he had to take up work over time with Atem.

 _Maybe when we get back we can have a quiet night together, get everything out on the table and try for a better schedule,_ he reasoned. He knew with Atem being in his top squad, and himself needed on the bridge almost constantly all day, it really only left some nights for them. He could see why Atem had that wistful smile on his face some days, so close to him but unable to touch.

The curl of pressure deep in the back of his mind pressed against him suddenly, like a phantom weight nudging for his attention. He shrugged it off, hearing the distant wisp of laughter.

He could almost make out the syllables of his name…

“Admiral Mutou, sir!” someone stepped forward, and he inwardly praised the chance for a distraction, while also realising he had walked almost on auto pilot to the front of the base.

“Yes, uh, at ease,” he waved them down. “Where is the mech?”

“It’s in the warehouse at the end of building twelve, sir!”

“Good, I’m going to see it. Tell Otogi to meet me along the way.”

“Yes sir!”

He strode forward, heading down the perfectly neat rows of steel buildings, the sun gleaming off the edges in blinding light. Yugi briefly wished he had the foresight to bring a pair of shades, the harsh sunlight forcing him to squint, even from behind the shadow of his hat.

Eventually a fence barred any entry from the outside, and the signs hanging from it noting its electric currents told him he didn’t want to try any doors through either. He was forced to duck into the nearest building, using the inner passages linking the warehouses together from the inside.

A door opened to his side, and Ryuji strutted out in all his shining glory. Gems gleaming from far too many necklaces and rings shoved on all his fingers. He flicked his long raven hair with a hand, smirking at Yugi.

“Mutou! How’s it hanging?”

“I have an unstable man in a mecha constantly attacking my crew,” Yugi cocked an eyebrow. “How do you _think_ it’s ‘hanging’?”

“Woah there, no need to snap at me,” Ryuji threw up his hands, grinning. “So you’re here to see my masterpiece?”

“I’m here to see the new disaster the higher ups want on my ship,” Yugi grumbled, fisting his hands by his sides. He didn’t slow his pace, forcing Ryuji to walk alongside him, although with his longer legs, it was no problem for him to stride beside Yugi.

“When they call, you answer,” Ryuji shrugged, and Yugi shot him a dark look. “I’m just saying. Besides, it _is_ quite the masterpiece, let me tell you.”

“Sure,” Yugi muttered.

Ryuji paused, and Yugi felt his eyes on him. Yugi braced himself for another conversation, but Ryuji just gave a hum before continuing forward. They stayed in silence for the rest of the trip, and Yugi felt mildly guilty for taking out his ill feelings on Ryuji.

Lucky for Yugi, the trip didn’t last much longer, as they reached a door marked with the letters for twelve. The door opened up into a huge warehouse, bigger than any of the kinds of bays they had back on his flagship.

“Well, this is the place,” Ryuji made a sweeping gesture. Yugi stepped forward, admiring the view.

The warehouse was slick and shiny, although mostly empty. He noticed a collection of machinery lining one of the walls, while the others appeared bare aside from some flashing lights.

Behind a large wall he could make out a section that dipped to both the left and right, and he figured it to be a divider.

“It’s behind that wall,” Ryuji said, as if sensing Yugi’s thoughts. “You’ll have the best view from the catwalk up top, though. It’s _really_ long. I need to go fix up some paperwork for it, so go talk to one of the technicians around and they’ll answer any questions you have.”

“All right,” Yugi said, and Ryuji waved himself off.

Yugi lingered around the ground floor, walking slowly, his boots clinking against the slick metal. He then took Ryuji’s suggestion and headed to the second storey, climbing a ladder up to the catwalks above. He gravitated to the edge, slinging his hands over the side to stare dully out.

He felt a sliver of confusion well up in his mind, but it wasn’t his. It was soon smoothed over by understanding, and a tiny prick of pain he identified as rage.

He had a feeling _he_ was not happy at this secret he had been keeping.

 _Maybe a replacement,_ Yugi gritted his teeth, ignoring the sudden push of darkness at the edge of his vision. He was off the ship, he shouldn’t be experiencing this kind of thing.  Being planet side was usually his only reprieve.

He strode away from the balcony edge, focusing on the clang of his feet against the metal to distract himself from his mind. He walked down the catwalk towards the top of the chamber. Another research worker was there, scrawling notes on a clipboard and pressing buttons on a panel.

“What’s the progress?” Yugi asked, leaning over the side and peering down.

He could make out flashes of red between the wires and covers. The plates looked smooth and strong, armour built to withstand the worst of attacks.

 _From other mechs, no doubt,_ Yugi frowned, eyes trailing over what he could see of the beast. _If it has armour plates on already, then it won’t be much longer…_ He noticed it seemed longer than the others. Otogi hadn’t been lying, then. It really was quite a long mech.

Where his, Seto’s and Jou’s stood up bulkily, this one seemed to stretch out along the ground. He almost wanted to pull back the covers and see the entire thing, but his fingers dug into his arms at the thought of being so close to it. _This vantage point is close enough,_ he thought.

“Things are going well, sir!” the researcher finally spoke, looking up from their clipboard. “The project has been running smoothly and we’ve hardly had any difficulties with the technologies. It was like it wanted to be made!” they laughed. Yugi gave them a sideways glance, rolling his eyes. That did little to ease his nerves.

“I’m sure you’ve all done excellent work to get it this far. When will it be ready to awaken?”

“Not long,” the researcher replied, glancing over the clipboard. “There is little left for us to do here, it mainly just needs to assimilate with the chosen pilot, and take the process from there.”

Yugi felt his skin crawl, gritting his teeth. “Then I can take it to the flagship?”

“Oh yes, like the report said it’s ready for space. The sooner you get it out, the sooner it will be ready for battle.”

“Good…” Yugi let his eyes trail back over to the red patches, a deep frown overtaking his face the longer he stared. “Finish it off then. I’ll be taking it today.”

The researcher bowed, and Yugi strode away.

A team of people were milling downstairs, a stack of heavy lifting equipment by their side. There was a long, smooth metal tray with wheels attached to the side. It looked like it could carry trucks on it.

“Get it on the ship before my crew returns.” Yugi said, waving them off.

They nodded and bowed before scurrying away. Yugi watched with vague interest as they began to attach forklift claws to the tray and drove it backwards towards the sheer wall the mech sat behind.

Yugi felt his eyes glaze over, dropping down to the ground. The curl of presence in the back of his mind was pushing against him again, and he could feel a headache threatening to form.

 _Fuck off,_ he growled back, squinting his eyes, even if it wasn’t here. He heard a chuckle, but ignored it, leaving the warehouse behind.

He could hear the warning alarms signalling they were lowering the machine, and the shouts of the team charged with transporting it. Soon that… _thing_ would be on his ship, and then there would probably be another voice crackling in his mind. He wondered what this one would sound like. They had said it was similar in structure to Seto’s and Jou’s, but then, his had had similarities too, and only his had grown its own will.

 _I don’t like this,_ he thought sullenly, watching his boots slap against the metal ground of the hallways. _I’ll take it on board but if they expect it to be up and running soon, they’re sorely mistaken._

He’d keep it away from Atem, make sure no news reached anyone of a new mech ready and waiting for a pilot.

They could win this war with Bakura without needing to lock another one of them into this life. There was still hope for him, hope that he wouldn’t have to go through what Yugi had.

 _And I won’t let him,_ Yugi swore, one of his hands gravitating to the other, brushing along the part of his jacket over his wrist, feeling the tighter fabric of his brace underneath. _I’ll make sure of it._

_It’ll never come to that._

* * *

Atem slammed his foot onto the accelerator, and his motorbike roared to life.

It raced down the starting line, sprinting out onto the track. All around him, the other pilots’ bikes shot forward as well, and they all left the crowd far behind in a sea of cloudy smoke.

The path they set out on was a dusty forest trail, dirt churning under their wheels. He noticed several racers take off quickly, their presence little more than dust clouds as they vanished between the trees.

A few lingered around the same speed as him, pushing forward but not taxing their bikes too far. He exchanged several glances by accident. Everyone was looking around and sizing up the competition.

He knew as later entries, he and Jou and Honda would be new meat, something unpredictable but also less of a concern, no doubt due to their bikes being rentals.

A lack of customisation in competitive racing gave off the ultimate newbie vibe. Atem would know; he had pitted that very status on others in the past.

But he was a master pilot, and he could win no matter what kind of handlebars he was sitting behind.

His bike wavered slightly over the sections that bordered on sand, the dirt too loose to hold the weight properly. He tried to steer away from them, focusing on where the ground looked most uneven. He could see the mountain looming closer in the edge of his vision. It would provide a welcome respite from the shifting surface of the dirt, but enter a whole new kind of challenge. Where sand could spin him out and slow him down, rocks could pierce his wheels and take him out for good.

A bike revved loudly beside him, spooking him out of his thoughts. A dark and sleek paintjob cut into his vision. He turned just enough to glance over the vehicle, noting the location of missile holes, and the gun resting in the hand of the rider, pressed against the throttle.

Atem clenched the accelerator tighter, and his bike lurched forward as a result. It was smaller than the other one, so he had speed on his side. _But still when it comes to a weapon fight, I have nothing,_ Atem bit his lip, keeping his attention divided between the road ahead and the bike wavering behind him.

He heard the distinctive sound of a button activating something and whipped his head around.

 _Shit!_ Atem ducked his head, seeing one of the missile pods open. There was the hiss of metal on metal, and the bullet shot out. But the missile didn’t touch his bike even as he swerved away. It sailed over his head, and he glared at the other rider.

They cocked him a grin, and Atem felt his stomach drop. Fuck, where were they aiming!? He whipped his head around, looking around for the silhouette of the missile in the sky.

He saw it circling around in the air, coming back around behind them. _Well now, this could be fun,_ he smirked, turning back to the road.

He saw the rider tighten their fingers around their gun, and Atem counted the seconds it would take for them to move, and the whistle of the missile behind him.

Right as the rider raised their gun, Atem slammed his foot down on the brakes, and his bike screeched.

It jittered left to right, the nose dipping down before it shrieked, the discs smashing into the wheels and slowing down.

The bike in front lurched forward, leaving Atem behind in a flurry of dust. He smirked as the driver barked insults at him, teeth gritted against the dirt flung into his face.

It was only a few seconds later that the missile struck the ground in front of the bike, and it exploded.

The driver spun out, their front wheels screeching over the rock as the whole thing swayed dangerously.

Atem gave it a wide berth, switching back to the accelerator and zooming past the other driver.

“ _That’s the way_!” Jou cackled down the radio, and Atem smirked.

“Setting the bar rather high for you aren’t I, Jou?”

“ _Ha! Watch this!_ ”

The line crackling broke off, and Atem heard an engine roar behind him. He glanced to his side mirror to see Jou and Honda’s bike revving up, the front skipping up off the ground.

It tore away from his bike, gaining speed and racing down the track. He saw Honda toss him a wave over his shoulder.

They were entering the second half of the race now, where the track would weave up the mountainside, and the path would become covered in obstacles.

For bikes like his, this was the true test. His wheels were strong, and he knew they could handle sharp and jagged edges, but too many would still wear them down. And any one could be the last; once the wheel was punctured, he was out of the race.

 _Bring it on,_ he thought, shifting forward in his seat.

The rock greeted him by throwing his bike into the air, the shift from dirt to stone jolting him upwards. He gained air, wheels spinning useless before slamming back into the ground.

“Yeah!” Atem laughed into the wind, breathless from the rush of adrenaline blasting through his system. He was feeling bold, despite the additional danger. He revved his bike more, jolting forward to bounce over the rock. It raced forward, closing the distance between him and Jou and Honda’s bike.

There wasn’t much track left; the race a much shorter preliminary kind of structure. It would be close, Jou’s driving reckless enough that he was keeping up with Atem through pure luck. _But that was always Jou’s style,_ Atem smirked, leaning forward into his bike more. He noticed Honda wasn’t using any weapons on him, despite their clear advantage if he did. He flashed them a grin, and Honda grinned back at him, throwing a fist in the air with a loud cry.

Jou mimicked it, and Atem yelled as well.

They were neck and neck, both bikes struggling to gain on the other.

But Atem had speed on his side, and in the end, it would always beat out bulk.

He gripped the handles so hard he felt the plastic covers rub through his gloves, biting into his skin. He jerked the accelerator down as far as he could. The bike was already straining at full speed, but Atem’s command pushed it even further.

It revved loudly, almost painfully, enough Atem gritted his teeth against the roaring sound.

It was working, though, he mentally cheered as his bike began to nudge forward from Jou and Honda’s.

He felt a jolt of shock as he realised the finish line had snuck up on them, the colourful banner and sprawling crowds closer than he had anticipated.

 _Just a bit more, bike!_ He willed his vehicle forward, pressing down into the engine as much as he could. He could see the tip of Jou’s bike, and his scraggy blonde hair in the corner of his eye. They were close, too close. Any second now they could take over.

 _But they won’t,_ Atem thought, resolution settling in his chest. He was going to win, he could _feel_ it.

He held his breath as he approached the finish line, and once his bike lurched over, let out a cry of triumph.

He heard Jou and Honda whooping not far behind him, throwing back a look to see them right on his tail before they sped past him, Atem’s hands no longer pushing down on the handles.

That had been a close race, and his blood _pumped_ from how exhilarating it was.

He let his bike slow down, chest heaving. His hands were shaking, and he laughed, dragging one away from a handle to take his goggles off.

The bike eventually crawled to a stop, and he removed his helmet, shaking out his wild hair.

He climbed off the bike, turning it off and wheeling it over to where Jou and Honda had stopped further down the track.

The crowd roared around them, and he winced as he saw people taking photos. _There is no way Yugi won’t know about this now,_ he thought, panicking about his hair. He slammed the goggles back on, hoping no one had caught his maroon locks, and people just thought he had messy hair from the wind.

He hurried over to Jou, keeping his voice as low as he could with Jou still being able to hear. “We need to get out of here, before we’re discovered.”

Jou’s eyes widened in realisation, and he gawked. “Aw shit! You’re right! Man, I got super carried away there. Honda! Let’s scram!”

Honda appeared from the other side of the bike, nodding quickly. He and Jou took up both sides of the bike, hauling it back to the shop. Atem followed closely, and they managed to avoid the crowds gathering for their attention. He could see them lurking around, no doubt aware they would have to come back out of the rental area sooner or later.

They returned their bikes, and Atem paused by the register, where someone was leaning against the desk, marking down their visit in a book.

“Hey, do you have a back door?” Atem asked them.

The person grinned, obviously aware what he was trying to pull. “Yeah, follow that isle out to a metal door. It’ll take you to the junkyard area.” He pointed towards a row of bikes, and Atem dipped his head politely, thanking them.

“Come on,” he whispered to Jou and Honda, and they all headed towards the door.

Outside was a total mess, metal scraps and wheels thrown everywhere. Atem sighed, nodding in satisfaction. “No one should see us leave this way. Come on,” he gestured for Jou and Honda to follow.

They raced through the junkyard and out into the nearby forest, using a small path that took them back to the main drag. They avoided the road, though, and stuck to the outskirts, using the trees to keep them hidden. It wasn’t long before they were weaving back through regular streets, the buildings and people looking more like every day civilians. Atem let his shoulders relax.

Jou took the chance to speak up, now that they seemed to be out of immediate danger of being detected.

“I shouldn’t be surprised you won, but geez man, you haven’t even been training for dirt races since you joined us in space! Or have you?” Jou eyed him with mock suspicion, and Atem snorted.

“With our tight schedules? I’d be mad do to so.”

“Then how do you do it? You’re a natural,” Jou said, whistling.

“I guess,” Atem shrugged. “It just… feels like what I’m supposed to do, you know? Be piloting something, driving. It’s all so natural when I’m behind a wheel, or control panel.”

“That’s what you told Yugi when you got promoted, and you know what he said to that.”

“Briefly, but I think you’ll find I was a bit distracted by his charming face that day,” Atem grinned sheepishly, and Jou cackled.

“Wow you are so hopelessly in lo-”

They stopped dead in their tracks when they noticed who was in front of them.

Yugi stood with his brows drawn and arms crossed, a stormy look over his face. Anzu was by his side, shrugging helplessly.

“Congratulations, _Red Sunset_ ,” Yugi said, voice holding no pleasantries.

“Aw shit man, busted.” Jou laughed nervously, and they all braced themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

“Where do I even start with all of you?” Yugi growled, his fingers curling into his jacket. Atem could see the rage he was containing.

“It was-” Atem began, but Jou cut him off.

“My idea,” Jou said, stepping forward.

“I don’t care who started it, you’ll all to blame,” Yugi snapped, and they all bowed their heads.

Atem felt Yugi’s burning gaze on him, and knew what was to come.

“You will follow me,” Yugi said in his commanding admiral voice, leaving no room for argument. Atem exchanged a look with Jou before chasing after Yugi, who had begun to stride away.

Once they were a distance away from the others, Yugi rounded on him, arms frantically latching onto him.

“Are you hurt?” Yugi’s hands patted over his clothes, betraying his worry, despite his deep scowl.

“I’m fine.” Atem grunted, letting Yugi do as he pleased. He could tell from the way Yugi’s hands shook slightly that he was stressing over this. “Yugi.”

“What? What do you expect me to do!?” He shot Atem a glare, a hand curling into Atem’s jacket.

“ _Calm down_. It’s over, I’m all right now. There’s no need to worry.”

“ _No need to_ _worry_?!” Yugi looked hysterical, a far cry from his usually confident military persona. “What would I do if you ended up in hospital from this? Or _worse_?” Yugi’s voice was shrill.

“Yugi, I’m _fine_. I’m sorry I worried you, but-”

“No, you don’t get to reassure me!” Yugi snapped, glaring. “I could have lost you to recklessness today!”

“It’s no different than when I’m out in space,” Atem argued. “I’m alive and I’m safe. It’s okay, Yugi.”

Yugi bit his lip, turning away from Atem. “There’s no need to take so many risks, I don’t understand why you still chase this feeling. Is it not good enough to be risking your life every time you step into battle? You need _more_ thrills?”

“I just... I can’t help it. Sometimes I get this... urge, like I really need to stretch an itch. Like being behind the wheel is where I belong, and when I’m not there it’s just… it _itches_.”

Yugi paused, his face half turned to listen to Atem, but an unreadable expression on his face. “Well… who am I to stand between you and your feelings, then?”

The way he said it made Atem wonder if he was still talking about the race, or if this had shifted to a more personal level. “What is this really about, Yugi? You don’t sound like you’re angry at racing.”

“I _am_ angry at you racing. And it’s nothing,” Yugi answered, sighing. “Let’s just get back to the ship.”

He moved to walk away, but Atem latched onto his wrist, pulling him back.

“Atem-” Yugi started, tone warning, but Atem didn’t let him finish. He wrapped his arms around Yugi, burying his face into Yugi’s neck, the rough material of his coat and leather choker scrunching around his nose.

“I’m sorry I worried you.” Atem whispered, and he felt Yugi shake.

“You scared me.” Yugi said, sounding very small. Atem suddenly felt like he was holding a child, not a proud admiral. “I don’t scare easily, Atem, but today I felt like my heart would give out when I found Anzu without all of you with her.”

“I’m sorry,” Atem repeated, rubbing his hands over Yugi’s back, patting it lightly.

“What would I have done if I had lost you? God, Atem, I can’t… I can’t deal with that.” Hands fisted into his shirt, and he felt Yugi shaking.

Oh no. He had really screwed up if Yugi was crying. “Yugi? Love, please look at me?” He tilted his torso back, sliding a hand under Yugi’s chin to bring it upwards.

Yugi’s eyes shone, and he looked at Atem sullenly.

“You promised me,” he said, barely managing to get it out before he hiccupped. Something twisted inside Atem to see him hurting so.

“I’m sorry. I know I went against your wishes.” He leaned forward to kiss the tears sliding down Yugi’s cheeks before pressing his lips down.

Yugi sighed, and Atem felt his shoulders relax. He tightened the arm still around Yugi’s waist, pulling him flush to his body. Their noses brushed together, and Atem stared deep into Yugi’s eyes.

“I made a mistake. I’m sorry,” he muttered. Yugi looked at him sadly, but there was acceptance there too.

“I forgive you,” he said quietly. “But please… don’t do it again, Atem. I don’t know what I’ll do without you, love.”

“Me neither. No sun can shine without the moon to support it,” Atem smiled, extremely pleased when he felt Yugi laugh.

“And no moon can illuminate the night without knowing the sun is behind it all the time,” Yugi scoffed, but his face broke out into a giant smile. “Hate when you use that comparison on me, it’s like end game.”

“That’s why I use it, my beautiful moon,” Atem tipped his head, sliding his lips over Yugi’s. He heard Yugi make a sound in surprise, but ultimately melted into the kiss, his hands tugging at Atem’s jacket ends as if to pull him closer. They were already flush against each other, but Atem could feel the desperation in his movements, so he pressed more into Yugi, wrapping his arms around his neck and sliding into his hair.

Yugi moaned in pleasure, kissing back just as passionately. Atem closed his eyes, focusing on all the points of contact he had with Yugi, smiling into Yugi’s mouth.

He felt Yugi’s tongue swipe along his bottom lip, and he widened his slightly, feeling the tongue wriggle inside. The pleasure increased as Yugi began to run his tongue over every inch of Atem’s mouth, hitting all his sensitive spots.

He was disappointed when Yugi pulled away, stepping back from Atem. He shook himself, smoothing down the folds of his jacket and readjusting his tie.

“We should get back to the ship,” Yugi muttered, and Atem nodded in agreement.

“Raincheck?” he asked hopefully.

Yugi smiled at him, patting his chest as he passed. “I’ll think about it.”

Atem grinned, following behind, already hearing Yugi launch back into a lecture for Jou and Honda.

* * *

The transport pod docked on the flagship, bringing them out in the middle levels of the vessel.

Yugi strode away from them without a word, heading towards the bridge. Atem had expected as much, but he was surprised when Anzu made no move to follow.

She turned to him instead, raising an expectant eyebrow.

“What?” Atem asked, knowing she wanted something from him, but wasn’t sure what.

“Did you talk to him?”

“Of course, you saw him pull me away planet side.”

“Did you _talk_ talk to him?” Anzu rolled her eyes.

“I don’t know what you mean. We discussed my reckless behaviour.”

“You and I both know Yugi has a habit of trying to shield his emotions.”

Atem nodded, he did know that. Quite frequently he had to badger them out of him when Yugi shut down. “Something about his past, right?”

“He hasn’t told you?” Anzu seemed surprised.

“He doesn’t want to talk about it, and I respectfully don’t push it. I’d like to know, but if he’s unwilling to tell me himself, I don’t think anyone else should either.”

Anzu nodded. “That is true. Well then, I’ll trust you smoothed this event all out.”

“I… think I did.” Atem felt his brows furrow in his confusion.

“Well even if you haven’t, you know Yugi won’t hold this against you. He loves you.”

“I know… I will think on what you have said, Anzu,” Atem bowed his head, and Anzu laughed.

“There’s no need for such obvious displays Atem. We’re all friends here, you don’t have to bow to me just because I outrank you.”

Atem flushed, a smile creeping over his face. “Regardless of rank, you have offered me advice and I am grateful.”

“If you say so. Good luck kiddo,” Anzu waved to him before leaving.

Atem glanced around with her absence, but Jou and Honda had left sometime while he and Anzu had been talking. _So I’m left alone…_ he tapped his foot, thinking over Anzu’s words.

_But we did talk… does she mean that Yugi didn’t say what he truly meant? But we’re always so honest with each other. I don’t understand, is Yugi still upset with me? I could have sworn I would have noticed if he was, but…_

He felt the vice-like grip of fear over his heart, and he bit his lip. He wasn’t _sure_.

He decided he needed to affirm Yugi wasn’t mad with him. He didn’t like entering the bridge, especially when Yugi wasn’t there, but his desire to reassure himself of Yugi’s feelings won out over his distaste for the command centre.

He took off the opposite way of his quarters, heading to the row of elevators. As he rode up to the bridge, he felt his stomach sink with each level he climbed. He was out of his element here, the harsh realism the people here exhibited a far cry from how they acted down in the hanger bays and mess hall.

The elevator chimed, announcing his arrive, and Atem stepped out. He nervously shuffled his fingers over each other, hesitantly walking over to the main section of the bridge.

All of the staff at the lower computers ignored him, no one acknowledging his presence. He ignored them in return, walking over to the circle of screens and holograms.

Yugi stood behind the screens, eyes flickering over walls of text from what Atem could see from the side. Yugi’s hat had a tendency to hide his expression well, making his bangs hug his face tightly and dip down over his eyes.

“Atem.” Yugi acknowledged him, still watching the screens. His foot tapped impatiently over something, and Atem swallowed nervously.

“Yugi… I, um…”

“Is it important?” Yugi turned to him, eyes dark behind his squashed bangs.

Atem paused, crushing his hands together. Yugi was very much in work mode right now, and interrupting him seemed like a grave mistake. “I suppose not.”

Yugi nodded, turning back to the console. He flicked his fingers across the screen, closing several windows and writing messages in others.

Atem bowed his head, walking back to the elevator.

“Wait.”

Atem hesitated, turning his head to peer at Yugi. He was still at his station, not even looking at Atem. But that could count as an order, and as nervous as Atem felt right now, he couldn’t actually disobey an order from someone so high up.

The screens suddenly disappeared, and Yugi pivoted around, striding over to Atem quickly. He gently but firmly took Atem’s arm, dragging him into another room, this one empty.

“You’re upset,” Yugi said, still holding Atem’s arm. “What’s wrong? Is this about before still?”

“Are you mad at me?” Atem blurted out, unable to keep it in anymore. If Yugi was mad at him, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything, too worried he had broken Yugi’s trust.

“No, I’m not. What is this about?” Yugi frowned, taking his hat off with his other hand. It let Atem seem his expression more easily, and he flashed a grateful smile.

“I thought you might still be angry at me, and I was worried… I don’t like fighting.” Atem bit his lip, lowering his gaze. “And I don’t want you to get in trouble for my mistakes.”

“Atem…” Yugi sighed, letting go of his hand. “I’m not angry, I promise. I was upset, but I understand. You apologised, and it’s fine. Why are you so worried about this?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was choosing cheap thrills over what we have.”

“That’s not how it looked,” Yugi shook his head, gently lifting Atem’s head with a hand at his chin. “I was angry, but mostly upset, because that kind of behaviour is very reckless and I can’t do anything to help you out there. When you’re on missions, I can watch you for danger, and warn you from things the sensors pick up. You’re in a strong ship, and you have two mech soldiers helping you as well. I know it’s not really _safe_ , but, it feels safer to me.”

“Oh,” Atem said lamely. He had never really seen it that way, knowing that it was dangerous out in space, especially if something tore holes in his ship. Neither Jou nor Seto would be able to reach him if catastrophe struck fast.

But to Yugi, sitting back in the flagship, it probably looked like he had more control than when he didn’t even know where Atem was.

 _Oh… control. He gets scared when he can’t get a leg up on a situation, of course,_ Atem realised, staring at Yugi, who was patiently waiting for his response.

“Do you understand where I’m coming from?” Yugi asked.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise how different the situations felt for you. They’re all the same to me, on the front lines,” Atem looked away, but turned back as Yugi suddenly hugged him.

“I don’t like seeing you in danger, even though I know it’s something I can’t avoid,” Yugi whispered. “But I still worry. I don’t want you to end up like me, Atem.”

Atem paused, brows furrowing. “’Like you’? What do you mean, Yugi?” he pulled back, and Yugi let him.

“Standing in front of holograms all day? Typing out messages and doing reports while everyone else is out actively doing things?” Yugi huffed, slapping his hat back on. Atem dared to think he was pouting, too.

“It’s not fun,” he clarified. “Which isn’t to say risking your life in battles is fun either, but, at least you don’t have to deal with paperwork. It’s like advanced university, except you can’t go mess around with friends afterwards.”

“I think everyone here appreciates what you do, Yugi,” Atem smiled. “You’re the best boss.”

Yugi grunted, but his lips twitched upwards. “Why have none of you ever given me a ‘best boss’ mug then? Not really feeling the love here, ‘tem.”

“Do you want a best boss mug or a best boyfriend mug, though?” Atem grinned.

“Ah, so the truth comes out,” Yugi snickered. “You _are_ only here for my dick!”

Atem reeled back in surprise. “Wait woah, let’s not make assumptions here…”

“So you, don’t want it then?” Yugi smirked, throwing him a wink, and Atem felt his cheeks burn.

“That’s not what I said-”

“Ah, well I’m reading you loud and clear my dear lieutenant,” Yugi adjusted his hat. “Professionalism from now on, in and out of the bedroom.”

“Wait, Yugi! You’re not serious right?” Atem fluttered around him, tugging gently on Yugi’s jacket.

Yugi chuckled, flashing Atem an amused look. “Of course not, love. No need to get flustered.”

Atem groaned, butting his head against Yugi. “Don’t do that to me, god.”

Yugi just kept laughing, patting Atem across his flushed cheek. “So we’re good here?”

“Yes,” Atem smiled, ducking forward to peck Yugi on the cheek. “Thank you for easing my worries, love.”

“Of course,” Yugi said softly, before he straightened, pulling away from Atem. “Now I do actually need to go back to work, sadly.”

“Right,” Atem followed him out reaching out to grab Yugi’s hand before the door opened. He pressed his lips to it, flashing Yugi a bright smile. “See you later?”

Yugi nodded, and Atem exited first, making a beeline for the elevator.

As he rode it down, he sighed, leaning against the back wall. A smile danced at his lips, the feeling of content washing over him. _I’m glad we got to clear that up, I hate to think he’s ever upset with me, but I did enter that race on my own accord. I’ll have to do better next time, not to give in so easily,_ his cheeks burnt with shame, and he knew there was no way around shouldering this blame.

 _I need to work on my outlets more, work out why I have such a burning itch to be behind the pilot’s seat all the time,_ he frowned to himself, hearing the elevator chime. He stepped out, wandering down the hallway.

He headed towards the sparring rooms, hoping to catch Jou for a quick round.

He was surprised when the door parted to reveal not Jou, nor Honda, but Seto instead. _Odd, Kaiba never comes down here,_ Atem thought, stepping out onto the mats.

Seto stopped immediately, lowering the blade in his hand to turn toward Atem’s presence.

“Sennen.” Seto’s tone was as frigid as deep space.

“Kaiba.” Atem replied just as coolly, although unable to replicate the malice that was like a second layer over Seto’s words.

“What do you want?”

“I came to train. What do you want? You never come down here,” Atem pointed out.

“Maybe I just happened to only be here when you’re not,” Seto countered.

“Then Jou would have seen you I’m sure.”

Seto grunted, beginning to stride away.

“Kaiba-”

“Don’t start with me Sennen. I’m not in the mood to listen to your bullshit.”

“You’re never in the mood for it,” Atem scoffed, crossing his arms. Seto paused, turning his head.

“Because your bullshit is never worth listening to. Go hunt down your boyfriend to care about your woes.”

“Yugi has enough on his plate, and our relationship is of no concern to you,” Atem growled, his fingers digging into his sleeves. “Why do you act this way about us?”

“That’s my business.”

“No, it’s not! It’s all of our business if we’re involved.”

“Whether I choose to share information with you is up to me, not you, Sennen. And don’t talk back to me like that, I’m still your commanding officer.”

“Then let’s bring this to the attention of the _admiral_ , and we’ll see how that goes,” Atem gritted his teeth.

“Mutou is busy enough as it is, isn’t that what you just said? But if you want to add more pressure to his shoulders with this trifle, be my guest,” Seto smirked, and Atem cursed, knowing Seto was right. “Now get out, I want to train and I don’t want you here anymore.”

“Yes, _sir_ ,” Atem shot Seto a dark look, storming out of the sparring room.


	8. Chapter 8

The bridge was as flat and boring as ever. The quick tapping of fingers over keys constantly filled the air, a droning sound that carried over the whole bridge.

Usually Yugi just ignored it, but today, he was feeling particularly jaded by the repetitive sound. It was times like this he wished he could put headphones on, but as admiral, he had to always be alert to his surroundings, and any sound that would cry out for his attention.

 _Like now,_ he thought, glancing over at the corner of his semi-circle of screens. A window popped up, and Yugi could see the elevator approaching the bridge, with Anzu in it.

A distraction. Good, he felt like he could use one of those right now.

“Anzu, hey, what’s up?” he asked when he heard the electric sound of the doors opening.

Anzu whistled, walking up to stand beside Yugi. “Woah, so spooky. Is what I would say if I didn’t know you had cameras everywhere.”

“I happen to be very spooky when I want to be, cameras or not,” Yugi said, flashing her a grin. “So, what can I do for you?”

“I just had some time to kill, and I wanted to come check up on you. Or take some of your work if you were piling it on again.”

“Uh, no it’s okay… I promise,” Yugi smiled, but Anzu only gave him a look that said she thought otherwise.

“I’m serious, I promise I’m managing it well and delegating when I need to,” Yugi muttered. He adored Anzu, but sometimes she acted like she was the admiral and not him, and it made him flush with embarrassment that people could overhear them.

“Mm-hmm, we’ll see Mutou.”

Yugi just nodded, glad to see the chance to slip into another topic. “Oh, by the way, where is the… special cargo?” Yugi asked, knowing Anzu would know.

“From Otogi?” she asked, and Yugi nodded. “Oh, well it’s down in one of the older hanger bays, away from the active ones. It’s… not in yours.” She was frowning at him, and Yugi realised his hands had frozen at his screens, and were dragging nonsense messages and commands through his programs.

He straightened, snapping his hands away from the holograms. “I see.”

“It’s _huge_ ,” Anzu said excitedly, clearing trying to stray away from her slip. “Even bigger than Seto’s. I’m impressed, I’ve never seen one built like that!”

“It’s a change in tactic, apparently,” Yugi grumbled, recalling the way Ryuji had droned on and on about it. “Or something to do with ancient records from its core processor.”

Personally, he hadn’t cared that much about it, and hadn’t believed much of what Ryuji had said when he went into spills about Yet-aghy and its mysterious mechanic geniuses.

He heard the wisp of laughter, mocking his disbelief. _Shut up, you,_ he snapped at it in his mind. The laughter turned into snorts. They both knew he couldn’t avoid a visit to that hanger bay, as much as Yugi did not enjoy being near the red mech. _I don’t like being around you, either,_ Yugi glowered at his screens. For a brief second, the image of a face flickered back at him, and his eyes widened without his permission.

It was gone before he could make out details, but he had definitely seen the glowing, beady yellow eyes staring back at him.

More laughter.

 _God I’m losing it,_ Yugi put a hand to his forehead, shocked to find his fingers twitching.

“-Yugi?” Anzu’s voice cut through his thoughts, and he flinched.

“Yes?” He dipped his head, letting the brim of his hat shadow his face.

“You zoned out for a second there. Didn’t hear anything I said, did you?”

“Sorry no. What did you say?” He replied, pretending to focusing on his jacket sleeves instead. His fingers grazed the bracers underneath, and he jerked the digits away again. _Idiot, stop jumping at everything,_ he chastised himself. _It’s been years, get over yourself._

He felt the smugness before the flash of questioning. _Oh, really? Have you?_ It seemed to say, and Yugi felt his stomach lurch violently at how clear it was to add words to.

The flash of a notification in the corner of a screen drew his attention. It blinked a message about Seto’s approach, and Yugi felt his shoulders fall. _What does he want now?_ Yugi grunted, flicking the screen away to focus on another.

“Seto’s coming.” He told Anzu. Anzu made a face.

“Oh… I don’t want to be here for that. Sorry Yugi, but he’s all yours.”

“Joy,” Yugi replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Anzu waved goodbye, ducking out of the room.

Almost immediately the doors parted again, and he heard the loud clanking of Seto’s thick boots on the metal.

“Mutou.”

“ _Admiral_ Mutou.” Yugi corrected.

Seto ignored him, eyes focused on the stretch of space visible in the window at the far end of the bridge.

“What do you want, Seto?”

“ _Captain_ Kaiba,” Seto smirked, and Yugi sighed.

“Captain Kaiba, what do you want? I am busy.”

“You’re always ‘busy’, supposedly, Mutou.”

“Comes with the title, captain. Now hurry up, you’re being a distraction.”

“Where’s the new mech?”

“Nowhere you have clearance to,” Yugi answered. “Don’t ask me again.”

“You know that won’t stop me.” Seto crossed his arms, and Yugi noticed his lips twitch. _Annoyed, as always,_ he observed.

“It’s not your mech,” Yugi pointed out, “so why do you care?”

And then a thought struck him. “Are you worried it’ll be better than yours?”

“Of course not, I just want to see if it’ll be worth fighting beside,” Seto grunted. “Nothing is superior to Blue-Eyes.”

He heard a distant growl, muffled in his mind. Annoyance, and slight curls of anger. Yugi felt his fists clenching without his permission. He forced them into his jacket pockets where Seto couldn’t see them.

“Sure, whatever,” he gritted out. “My answer is still no, your reason is hardly worth my consideration. Now leave, _captain_.”

Seto looked like he was in no hurry to follow that order. Yugi stiffened, narrowing his eyes.

“It looks like Bakura might be up to something.” Seto said instead. Yugi groaned, feeling his focus shift immediately at the mention of the rebel mech pilot.

“Again?” _Or is he continuing whatever my team interrupted from him before?_ Yugi thought silently. The gears in his mind turned, and he adopted a hard scowl as he thought.

Whatever Bakura was up to, it involved something on this side of the galaxy. He never strayed out of the system, and the sectors he fought them in were all interconnected. If Yugi brought up a map of all Bakura’s movements and sightings, he was sure it would look like a connector puzzle.

“If Bakura is doing something, then we need to go stop him.” Seto said, arching a brow at Yugi’s lack of response.

Yugi blinked up at him from behind his hat brim. “We need to plan before we go in. Our strike last time probably disoriented him, but I highly doubt it caused his plans to be disrupted. And I’m sure he increased his network security, so your hacking his location won’t be as accurate.”

“All the more reason to strike first, before whatever he’s planning can be put into action.”

 _It might already be in motion,_ Yugi thought.  He felt a brush against his mind, disregarding. _I never asked you,_ Yugi scowled. _I never do, so stop butting in._

A stab of pain, so sudden he flinched from it. He glanced up to see Seto watching him carefully, a frown on his face.

“Can you pay attention? This is kind of important.”

“I _am_ paying attention,” Yugi muttered, rubbing his temple. “Just a headache.”

“Boo ho,” Seto replied dryly. “Take some pills and deal with it.”

“Seto,” Yugi said in his warning voice. The kind he reserved specifically for Kaiba.

“Don’t ‘Seto’ me, Mutou,” Seto rolled his eyes, arms crossing at the same time. “A commander of an army base really ought to be paying more attention.”

“I’m in charge of _this_ ship, Seto. There may be an armada, but it’s not on this side of the galaxy.”

Seto ignored him, going back to their original point of conversation. “If we crush Bakura now, then we don’t have to worry about what plans he has. So let’s snap at his tail while he have a good chance to catch him.”

“After that last strike? Are you mad Kaiba? He will definitely be lurking on some planet we can’t find him on somewhere right now.”

“Mutou, I have the kind of clearance to go out on my own if I think there’s enough reason for it,” Seto growled at him.

“But you won’t, because you know I can just as easily convince Jou and Atem to not follow you.”

“Then I go alone, and you send them after me, as we both know you would.”

“Don’t tease me, Seto,” Yugi warned, anger flashing through him. “Bakura will not brush aside your stupid mistakes as I so often do, and if you drag my lieutenants into it, I will be incredibly mad at you.”

“I don’t make mistakes,” Seto snorted, then his eyes narrowed. “Except partner choice, it would seem.”

Yugi tried very hard not to flinch. “Go above me Seto, and there will be trouble. Don’t endanger other people just for a chance to be smug. Or to sass me.”

Seto scoffed, pivoting around to storm out of the bridge. If the doors hadn’t been automatic, Yugi was sure Seto would have slammed them dramatically behind him.

The pressure in his mind vibrated in the back of his skull. He heard growling, sharper and more defined than usual. Whether it was aimed at him or Seto, he couldn’t tell. _Although_ he _never liked Seto much, competing for my attention back then,_ Yugi thought. He shook his head, ignoring it and turning back to the screens.

He didn’t miss the way several of the people working below had quickly spun back to their work.

He threw himself back into the tasks on his list, chopping away at them until his back ached and his legs screamed for rest.

Eventually he finished enough to justify slipping off, and gratefully tore into the elevator. He leaned against the back wall while it took him down, towards the floor where his chambers were.

He was glad it never took long to get back after work. The advantages of being at the top and on a spaceship, he mused.

He peeled away from the wall at the elevator chime, lazily striding out.

Yugi sighed, his feet growing increasingly heavier with each step. He couldn’t wait to be back in his chambers, shedding both his uniform and the weight of his job.

He turned a corner, relief flooding him as he knew he was so close to the comfort of his chambers. He flashed his card to open the door, and then felt resistant. He bounced back as something collided with him.

He growled, confused and annoyed something had interrupted him when he was so close to the comfort of his quarters. It changed to surprise a moment later.

“What the- Atem?”

* * *

Atem had left the training rooms with fire blazing from his feet. He knew he was below Kaiba in rank, and that technically Kaiba could tell him what to do, but it still… made him want to tug at his hair in exasperation.

He tried to relax into his bed in his chambers, but the silence of the room was irritating him in a way he didn’t like.

He usually didn’t get irritated easily, but he couldn’t shake a feeling clinging to him.

He had yet to work out what kind of feeling it was, but it was something he hadn’t felt before, so he figured it had happened recently. It was like a headache, but not quite. It didn’t lace his brain with pain, but it did make him feel like something was _off_.

And it got under his skin and nudged him to the point where he felt restless. _And no doubt Kaiba is still at the sparring room, and I’m in no mood to aggravate a fight from him. But maybe that would help cool me down._

“Augh, I don’t know,” Atem groaned, flipping upwards and off the bed.

The thrumming was getting worse, like the restlessness was feeding into it as much as it was feeding into the feeling. _A cycle of suffering,_ Atem moaned.

He went to Yugi’s quarters instead, taking a long, cold shower to calm himself down. Yugi’s bathroom was spacious and always the right temperature, like it was programmed to adjust to Atem’s visits. _Maybe it is_ , Atem thought, eyeing all the technology in panels along the wall.

Stepping out, he could practically feel the stress shedding from him in the steam. _That is much better,_ he thought. _But maybe_ _I should leave. I know Yugi likes to have some time alone before I join him. I don’t want to interrupt his usual time._

He dressed in loose clothing and his jacket, heading back out. He hadn’t been expecting to run head first into Yugi, his forehead colliding painfully with the hard brim of Yugi’s admiral hat.

“What the- Atem?” Yugi said, his face appearing as he leaned down to inspect Atem’s. “Are you okay?”

“Fine, just had a run in- literally- with your hat. Forget the mechs, we should sick _that_ on Bakura.”

“Oops, sorry,” Yugi said, sliding his hat off. He tucked it under an armpit, a sheepish smile on his face. “You okay?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” Atem grunted, rubbing his forehead. He silently wished Yugi would run into Kaiba like that, but the height difference would mean Yugi’s deadly hat would only bump into Kaiba’s chest. Still, he hoped if it ever happened one day, that it would hurt.

“Now there’s a look I don’t see often,” Yugi said. Atem turned to him, tilting his head in question.

“The ‘I’m incredibly annoyed at something and will grump about it’ face. Very rare.”

“Oh, I suppose,” Atem laughed awkwardly, letting his expression drop.

“So what’s up? Unless you’re going to grump about my hat, but something tells me this isn’t about that.”

Atem sighed. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”

“Absolutely not, otherwise I wouldn’t be good at my job.”

“It’s… Kaiba.”

Understanding dawned on Yugi’s face. “Ah. Seto. Of course. What has he done now?”

“Just being an ass, honestly. I think he was trying to stir up trouble.”

“He does that sometimes. Usually means he’s jealous.”

“How have you put up with him for so long?” Atem asked, huffing loudly.

Yugi tilted his head, eyes watching him carefully from below the hat.

“I mean, he’s kind of an asshole,” Atem said. “Don’t tell me you’re going to deny that.”

“No, he definitely is, I won’t deny it,” Yugi replied. “But he’s also an incredible pilot, as you well know. It’s not like I could do anything to get rid of him, just because he snarks a lot.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you do, more so curious how you’ve deal with him for so long. Weren’t you two in the same team before you became admiral?”

Yugi’s eyes left his, and he squirmed uncomfortably, hands slipping into his pockets. “Yeah, a while ago.”

“Who else was there in the team?”

“It was just us.”

Atem stared. “Two people? I know you were in mechs, but still? Just two? Even we have three.”

“And you’re lucky, it could just be Jou and Seto out there,” Yugi cocked an eyebrow, his face a calm seriousness again. “Orders do say mechs only need to travel in pairs, since they make up the slack for so many other kinds of ships. No offence to your little baby, of course.”

“You’re just jealous, I understand,” Atem said gently. Yugi scoffed.

“Of a hunk of metal? I don’t think so. I’m sure my moves could wow more than hers.”

“You don’t know that, she could already have my heart.”

“You’re a roaring gay man, Atem. I’m sorry to say, I don’t fear competition from your ship, regardless of what gender you give it.”

“Well… I mean- when you say it like that,” Atem mumbled. “Maybe I should be worried about _you_ two running off, then.”

“Nah, she’s not my type of gal.” Yugi grinned, and Atem felt his heart grow lighter at the happiness crinkling Yugi’s eyes.

“No, you prefer muscles and bulky arms, don’t you?” Atem winked, flexing his biceps. Yugi’s eyes darted to them, and he snorted playfully.

“A bit narcissistic for you to say, don’t you think?” he cocked an eyebrow.

“I guess so. After all, if I had my own mech, it’ll be like yours all big and epic looking and-” Atem felt his eyes widen as the words leaving his mouth.

Yugi faltered, and the smile vanished. “I... guess he is…” He looked away, a frown pulling his lips down.

 _You fucked up Atem!_ Atem screamed to himself, wishing he could slap his forehead. But with Yugi standing there he felt it was inappropriate.

“Shit, Yugi I’m sorry, I know you don’t want to- I didn’t mean to-” he groaned, settling for rubbing his forehead instead of slapping it. “I fucked up.”

“It’s all right,” Yugi said quietly, heaving a sigh of his own. “It shouldn’t affect me as much as it does, really. It’s been… years, since then.”

Atem paused in his movements, curious eyes turning to Yugi. This was a reaction he had never seen before. Usually Yugi dodged the topic like it was fire, and more often than not, would excuse himself to conveniently go somewhere Atem couldn’t follow.

But here Yugi was, quietly staring down at the ground and not running away. Atem noticed he kept rubbing at his wrists, at the braces over them.

“You have many questions about it all I’m sure,” Yugi grunted, his frown darkening to a scowl. “I fought beside Seto, years ago. You know I had my… own mecha.”

“You showed me, yes, I remember. But why did you-”

“There was an accident,” Yugi said bluntly, then seemed to regret it as he winced. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound so snappy. It just… brings back awful memories.”

“It’s all right,” Atem murmured, reaching out to brush his fingers over Yugi’s cheek. “Just say what you’re comfortable with. If it’s too hard, don’t. I can wait.” He, of course, already knew the rumours about the ‘accident’. The verdict was still out on if it actually was an accident, and Yugi’s jumpy behaviour never helped him smooth that into a fact.

“It’s all too hard, and that’s the problem,” Yugi sighed, hand slipping away from Atem’s. Atem tried not to look too hurt.

“Have you seen Ryou about this? Isn’t he also a psychologist on top of ship doctor?” Atem asked.

Yugi nodded. “Mmm, we both agreed I wasn’t ready to… revisit certain things.”

“Oh,” Atem looked away, then thought it would be better to give Yugi his full attention and turned back. “And are you doing okay?”

“I’m fine, as fine as we can be in the middle of a war. Or whatever this thing is with Bakura. I just have my moments, we all do.” Yugi crossed his hands, bending his head.

Atem frowned. “Somehow I am not convinced.”

Yugi smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Guess I’m not as charming as I think I am, then.”

“You’re plenty charming, I just know you too well.”

“I suppose,” Yugi hummed. He swerved around Atem to trot into his quarters, and Atem followed.

“You know, I have to take your dismissive tone as a ‘I can’t argue with Atem he’s too gorgeous’ answer.”

“You’re full of yourself,” Yugi rolled his eyes back at him. He flung his hat onto the couch, flopping down right next to it.

“That’s how you love me, though,” Atem chuckled, sitting down next to him. He leaned forward to press a kiss to Yugi’s cheek. “Out there fighting all the bad guys for you.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t, really.”

“But I have to, just like you have to do your job here.”

“You don’t _have_ to be out there,” Yugi shot him a look.

“But if I’m not out there, how will I fight for you?” Atem grinned.

Yugi scoffed. “There are more romantic ways to show your affection than constantly trying to mortally injure yourself.”

“But isn’t that what you did in the past, too?”

“Yes, and I stopped because it was obviously stupid and reckless.”

Atem chuckled. “Well if you’re not out there doing it, then someone else has to, don’t they?”

“But does it have to be you?” Yugi sighed, his hands wrapping around his chest. “Can’t you just let Jou and Seto take care of Bakura?”

“And do what in the meantime?”

“You could join me in the command centre.”

“I thought you didn’t want me to end up like that?” Atem arched an eyebrow.

Yugi’s lips pressed into a thin line. A grunt was the only vocal response from him.

“I can’t explain why, but I feel more useful when I’m out there,” Atem explained, wringing his hands together. “It’s like being a fish put back into water. Or, something like that. I mean, it feels so good and free to be piloting something. Like it’s what I’m meant to do. Aren’t you supposed to follow your calling when you find it? Or it finds you?”

“I suppose,” Yugi closed his eyes, dipping his head. “I can’t stop you, I guess. Despite pulling rank, your stubborn ass would find a way to sneak back out, even if it was in an escape pod with a laser strapped to it.”

“Bakura would never see it coming,” Atem grinned, and Yugi just rolled his eyes. His hands dropped, though, and a faint smile was on his face.

“I’m tired,” Yugi said suddenly. “I should get some rest.”

“I’ll come join you later, I need to go check on my girl.”

“Don’t cheat on me now,” Yugi smiled, leaning on Atem’s shoulder. They stayed together for a moment, both basking in each other’s presence in grateful silence.

And then Yugi pushed away first with a sigh. “See you tonight.”

Atem nodded. “Sleep well.” He whispered, just before he turned to wander out of Yugi’s quarters.  

He headed towards the elevator, but jolted to a stop when he felt something.

 _What was that?_ He felt his heart racing in his ears as he stopped to listen. He thought he had heard something, but faint, like a distant voice.

_Atem…_

He sharply inhaled, the lightning racing down his spine making him shiver. There it was again, an echo that sounded… suspiciously like his name. _Or maybe I’m just hallucinating and imagining it’s saying that,_ Atem bit his lip, throwing cautious eyes around.

But as he headed down the elevator into the hanger bay, he couldn’t shake the feeling someone- or some _thing-_ was watching him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey we're pretty much half way through the fic now! Woo!   
> Thanks for all the support on this guys, I really appreciate all the comments ppl have been leaving <3

The hanger bay was filled with technicians fluttering between the mechs. People scrambled across catwalks, the metal pathways arranged in several descending rows around Seto and Jou’s massive dragons. 

Atem stopped to watch them work, crawling over the hulking metal forms like insects. The air was alive with the sounds of voices, people calling to each other, some over great distances. Atem wondered how they could hear each other when one shouted from the top catwalk of the Blue-Eyes to a technician at the ground level control box. They pressed a switch with a thumbs up, and Atem watched a pulley haul a crate of colourful tools up to the top row.

He continued on past the Blue-Eyes, eyeing the Red-Eyes along the next part of the wall. It was equally as busy as the Blue-Eyes, except people looked to be finishing up on her.

He felt electricity down his spine as he stared at the red eye sockets, hurrying along. He didn’t like how it felt like the mech was watching him with those details. _Should have just kept the window panoramic instead,_ Atem thought.

He came up to his own ship, the furthest down from the exit doors and in the smallest section of the bay, due to its size.

No one was working on his ship, but he didn’t mind. The repairs to a normal vehicle, even one modified like his, never took long. Compared to a mech, that was. Serious damage done to one of those could take weeks to fix, if one of the older components was damaged.

Atem didn’t know why they insisted on using old technology. Ryou had tried to enthusiastically describe ancient tech to them once, but Kaiba had kicked him out before the lecture could end. Kaiba wasn’t interested in the history of his machine, just how he could utilise it the best. Atem felt bad for Ryou; he knew the doctor liked to bring his history background in as much as he could, but since he was hired for his medical work, it was all the government, and most people on the ship, expected from him.

Atem never did find out why they needed those components, and why they acted like they could never be replaced.

“Hey girl, how you doing?” Atem muttered to his ship. He kept his voice hushed, hoping no one passing by heard him talking to The Magician. He knew Jou did it as well, but somehow it made more sense to talk to something shaped like an animal, albeit an imaginary one, than something that was just a chunk of metal.

 _Not that I think about you like that, girl,_ Atem patted the hull. He walked slowly around the catwalk, inspecting the entire length. The Magician looked good, the slick surface shining back at him. It looked ready to leap back into battle.

 _Good,_ he grinned, giving it one last glance before turning away.

He hopped down, feeling a faint buzz in the back of his skull. It was familiar, and from the cold creeping feeling spreading down his back, it wasn’t a good type of familiar, he could tell.

He felt the faint pulse of what sounded like a heartbeat. But it wasn’t his, fluttering out of tune to the flush from his own. It was just off, enough that he could ignore it if he concentrated on something enough, but noticeable when there was nothing to distract him.

 _Or when it seemed to want to be noticed,_ Atem thought. Whatever the weird source of energy was, it felt stronger down here than it had near Yugi’s quarters.

 _That can’t be good,_ Atem thought grimly. _Yet more to add to our troubles._ He shook his head, eager to leave the hanger bay and return to Yugi.

* * *

Atem lay next to Yugi that night, sheets pulled loosely over him and one of Yugi’s arms sprawled across his chest.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the voice he thought he had heard. Was it some kind of trick? Was Jou responsible, a harmless prank, or was Seto still bitter over whatever kind of jealously he seemed to have built up over something?

“Hey…” Atem asked tentatively. He turned to his side to regard Yugi.

“I’m awake,” Yugi mumbled, sounding anything but awake. Atem chewed on his lip, debating whether it was worth saving for their morning routine. He didn’t want to start the day unloading his stresses onto Yugi’s shoulders, though, and send him off in a shaken mood.

Yugi shuffled around, his arm sliding off Atem’s chest and an eye peeked open. “I’m awake,” he repeated. “What’s up?”

“I just… kind of wanted to talk about something.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Okay well… I think I’ve been hearing things.”

“Gotta be more specific, dear.”

“Like a voice. One that doesn’t belong to anyone I know. And it’s kind of inside my head. I think.”

Yugi’s brows furrowed in what Atem thought was confusion. Atem tried to elaborate. “It sounds weird, I know. But it… makes me a little worried. It’s happened a few days now.”

“When did it start?”

“Um… after we got back from our trip planet side, I think. Maybe a bit before then?”

“Mysterious. Maybe you caught something planet side. Maybe you should go see Ryou in the medical ward. Or I could schedule you an appointment on Menet if you feel you need a professional.”

“I don’t want to waste time making trips back and forth on a doctor’s whim when I should be out there fighting instead. Bakura isn’t going to sit around picking his nails just waiting for us. I’ll consider going to see Ryou, maybe it’s nothing serious and I’m just a little stressed.”

Yugi hummed in agreement, lazily tracing fingers down Atem’s chest. Atem watched his half-lidded eyes roam over his skin, hand following the look slowly after.

Atem’s thoughts drifted to his strange predicament. If one could even call it that. He wasn’t sure if it was a warning sign for something approaching his life, or if it was merely his consciousness playing tricks on him.

Repetitively. Over the span of days. Perhaps too much to call a coincidence.

“Is there something different done to the ship, maybe?” Atem asked aloud. He half expected Yugi not to answer, having perhaps fallen asleep, but the weight at his side shuffled when Atem spoke.

“Different how?” Yugi asked through a yawn, his head dropping to Atem’s chest with a content sigh.

Atem picked through his words, carefully constructing terminology as best he could. It wasn’t his strongest point, but then again, he wasn’t a mechanic nor technician either. “In the mainframe or wiring. Or maybe in the ventilation docks? A different kind of air system, an upgrade, perhaps?”

“You’re overthinking this,” Yugi mumbled against his chest. “I haven’t authorized any new changes. The old beast might be a little heavier but…” Yugi suddenly stopped, his eyes opening up and mouth pinched into a frown.

“But?” Atem prompted.

“Well we did restock recently, so maybe she’s a little off with some of the supplies the divisions asked of me. But most of it was just spare parts for the ships and food intake. Shouldn’t be anything drastic, and frankly, nothing in any way of inducing of hallucinations. Unless you ate something awful planet side.”

“We didn’t really stop to eat, Jou and Honda found that flyer and we were off to the race.”

“Hmm. I see.”

“So something else, I guess.” Atem sighed, letting his head sink into the pillow. _But what?_

Yugi lifted his head off Atem’s chest, yawning loudly. “I can pull you from the roster if it’s bothering you. I don’t want you distracted in the heat of battle, either, if this will become a problem.”

“You think it will?” Atem frowned. “Maybe I should get checked, then.”

Yugi didn’t reply immediately, keeping his head raised and eyes gazing at a distant spot amid the darkness on the wall.

“I think if it makes you feel so uneasy, you should go see Ryou,” Yugi answered eventually. “If it is a problem, then he can help you identify it, and then we can work out how to deal with it.”

“Okay,” Atem agreed with a nod. He didn’t want to risk being a burden, if whatever he was experiencing turned out to be something serious that could affect his work.

“Now let me cuddle and sleep,” Yugi muttered, burrowing back down to Atem’s side, head once again on his chest.

Atem gave a happy hum, slipping an arm around Yugi’s shoulders. Yugi was fast asleep in moments, his body resting heavily against the sheets. Atem followed soon after, letting his worries melt away in his lover’s arms.

* * *

The next morning Atem sat at the usual table with Yugi. He quietly sipped a cup of tea while Yugi was shovelling food down his throat at a somewhat alarming speed.

“Shouldn’t you slow down a bit?” Atem chuckled. He knew Yugi wasn’t a morning person, despite how his job called for him to be one. Years as admiral and Yugi still groaned and struggled to wake up in the morning. Atem had only known him for half that time, but he had heard how it was common behaviour for Yugi throughout his school years as well, not just adult life. Atem smiled around his mug.

“The punishment for sleeping through the first alarm,” Yugi said around a large slice of apple.

“You’re not going anywhere if you choke, though. Except to the infirmary, I suppose.”

Yugi hummed, his mouth crammed full. He gave a thoughtful nod before swallowing.

“That reminds me. I’d prefer you to see Ryou before you go out next, Atem.” Yugi said. His fork stabbed through the perfectly square cubes with precision, his eyes not even on the bowl.

Atem blinked back his surprise, nodding. “Uh, okay. I guess I can do that. Are we scheduled to go out anytime soon? Any news on Bakura’s movements?”

“Not since you all got back. A patrol thought they saw him near the ancient sector, but they dared not venture closer.”

 _The ancient sector?_ Atem frowned. That sounded… suspicious. “Don’t you think that makes for a perfect hiding place, then? If no patrol wants to go so close to Yet-aghy?”

“For good reason; the air is hostile. Even Bakura couldn’t live there, and building a facility that would provide clean air planet side would be disastrously expensive.”

“But Bakura has a mech,” Atem argued. “Mechs can go anywhere.”

“But they can’t filter toxic air forever, Atem. Not even dark class mechas can deal with that.”

“Dark class?” Atem frowned. He had never heard a classing system for mechs before.

Yugi froze. “It’s nothing.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just a phrase Seto and I used to use. Nothing important.”

“What does it imply?”

Yugi shoved a spoonful of cubes into his mouth.

“Yugi.” Atem said, his tone warning. “Don’t make me go ask Seto over you.”

Yugi mumbled around his food, making unintelligent sounds.

“Please chew your food first, mister admiral sir, I don’t want to see it.”

Yugi made a grimace, scrunching up his nose before visibly swallowing. “Augh, fine. You’re fine with watching me swallow other things though.”

Atem felt his cheeks flush immediately. “Yugi, please.”

“Can’t handle the heat, Atem dear?” Yugi said with fake sweetness. “Better get out of my kitchen then.”

“More like _my_ kitchen, you wouldn’t even know where anything is in that place.”

“I- okay, true,” Yugi dipped his head. “I’ll give you that.”

His watch suddenly beeped, forcibly interrupting them. Yugi glanced down with mild annoyance, his eyes widening.

“Fuck, I gotta go,” Yugi grunted, shoving his mug in his face and practically inhaled the rest of his coffee.

“That kind of language doesn’t set a good example, you know.” Atem pointed out.

“No time for fucking lectures my fucking dear, gotta go to fucking work,” Yugi grinned at him as Atem sighed. He leaned forward to peck Atem on the cheek before dashing off, leaving Atem alone at the table.

“Figures,” Atem sighed, sipping his tea. It was lukewarm at best, and he scrunched up his face at it. Yugi had left again without giving him the answers he needed. _Sometimes I wonder if these excuses are just convenient, or if he’s really hiding something…_

The mere thought that Yugi was actively hiding information from him made his stomach twist. He wanted Yugi to trust him enough to confide in him. About anything. He wanted to be who Yugi leaned on when things got too rough. _But he doesn’t, it’s like he doesn’t trust me, but I know he does… so then what keeps him from talking about the past?_

 _At least he has a past,_ Atem thought, then promptly squashed that train of thought. _No, I won’t think that. Their memories are important, and I don’t envy them having them, just because… I don’t have mine._

_I do have memories, and it doesn’t matter they only started when I was a teenager. The memories I’ve made since I woke up are what matters. These are the friends and family I’ve made._

_And besides… I wouldn’t have met Yugi if I didn’t go through all this…_

He shook his head with a sigh _. I seem to have this conversation with myself every day… Enough, Atem. There’s work to be done, and you have a job to do._

He cleared off the table before heading out, taking the elevator down to the infirmary.

The doors parted into a large open space, slick and clean with the sharp scent of anti-bacterial sanitiser. Everything was polished to a near sparkling state, although the lighting was somewhat dimmed, so nothing shone with enough force to blind Atem.

He walked further into the room, searching the door frames for any sign of Ryou. “Ryou? Hello?” he called, not seeing the white head of their doctor anywhere.

He turned to leave, intent on coming back when Ryou was actually here, only to run into the doctor walking in.

“Ryou! Fuck, you scared the shit out of me!” Atem jumped back, clutching his chest.

Ryou chuckled, giving him an apologetic smile. “Sorry! Didn’t realise I’d be having company before I got back.”

“I guess I shouldn’t have entered without knocking first,” Atem admitted.

“It’s all good,” Ryou fluttered past him, occupying his hands with papers on a bench. “So what brings you down here, Atem?”

“Yugi asked me to come talk to you.”

“About what? Is he finally coming back to finish his appointments? Took him long enough,” Ryou muttered the last part under his breath, but Atem heard it loud and clear.

“Um, no… but, I mean, shouldn’t he? Like can’t you order him to as a doctor?”

“Not really, I can recommend things to him, but ultimately he has to make that decision,” Ryou shrugged, then frowned. He turned around to face Atem again. “Why? Has he said something? Acted weird recently?”

“To be fair, Yugi is always a little jumpy,” Atem said. “But he’s been a bit… strange, recently, I’ll admit.”

“How strange?” Ryou asked, a pen and clipboard materialising in his hands. From the pile, Atem assumed, although Ryou seemed to move too fast for Atem to be able to see anything.

“Shouldn’t he be telling you this?” Atem asked back. Something felt a little off in talking about Yugi like this, like it was behind his back. _Or not,_ Atem thought, glancing at the black sphere on the roof. _If he can listen in at any time from the command centre._

“Yugi can’t hear in here, I have the cameras set to only go off if the panic button is pressed,” Ryou explained, waving to where Atem was looking. “Patient privacy and all that. Even an admiral can’t argue with that.” His gaze softened, and he leaned out to clasp a hand gently over Atem’s shoulder.

“It’s understandable to be worried about your partner’s feelings and actions, and I know you two are close. But if something is standing between you and your total trust of him, you should confess this to him and work it out.”

“This…” Atem frowned. It was eerie how good Ryou was at reading what he was feeling. Almost like mind reading, although he knew that was just because Ryou was incredibly good at his job and trained to do such.

“Okay,” he said, sucking in a breath through his teeth. “You’re right. Except, I’ve kind of tried that already. And I mean, Yugi is such a busy guy, and he often takes off to work before he can answer my questions properly. I can’t tell if he does it to get out of it, or genuinely forgets about it.”

“What do you want to ask him the most? What makes your faith waver?” Ryou tilted his head, pen moving across the page.

“My faith isn’t wavering. I would still throw myself into anything for him. I love him, and he knows that.”

“But…?”

“But,” Atem acknowledged. “He’s… something about his past still haunts him, I can tell. This thing with the mech he used to pilot. The ‘accident’ that gets referred to but never expanded on. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person who doesn’t know what happened that day.”

“Not true, a lot of people here don’t know about it. A lot of the team got rotated after the accident, and when its date anniversary rolled around, most of the old staff were gone, off to other planets and patrols.”

“Really?” Atem bent his head, finger to his lip. “How strange… When was Yugi promoted to admiral?”

“He got that role after the accident, because he still wanted to fight, but couldn’t go out in the field anymore. I banned him myself from space for a month.”

Atem was taken aback, staring up at Ryou with an open mouth. “ _You_? Banned him from _space_?”

“Of course,” Ryou said with a frown, looking up from his notes. “He was a mess, and being up here was no help. He needed time to calm down, and being planet side was the only thing I could think of that would help him.”

“Did it?”

“I hope it did.”

“You mean you don’t know?”

“Well he acts better now, but he never came back to finish his sessions, and I know for a fact he didn’t see any doctor planet side, so… I worry, I suppose.”

“That is hardly reassuring,” Atem sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Should I be concerned about something? Am I missing some great evil that might break loose any moment and take my boyfriend away?”

“The evil is already out there, and you’ve been pelting it with bullets for quite a while now,” Ryou chuckled. “No, that’s not the problem here.”

“Then what is?”

“Yugi just needs to talk about and deal with the accident.” Ryou said, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“You’re serious? What, how many years and he hasn’t done this already? Why?”

“Yugi is _very_ persuasive, for better or worse. He’s also good at deflecting conversations about himself, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

“Yes, I can certainly see that.” Atem nodded.

“Which is kind of a problem, when he throws himself so strongly into work life and using his energy on others.”

“But… Yugi wouldn’t… do something reckless, would he?” Atem frowned, already knowing the answer despite asking.

“Not for himself, no,” Ryou’s eyes flickered to his, and Atem understood perfectly in that moment. _But for someone he cares about._

“No,” Atem shook his head. “I won’t let him do anything reckless on my behalf. He’s a leader and he needs to think about what’s best for everyone. And that includes himself, not just… me.” No matter how flattering it was to know Yugi would toss everything aside for him.

 _But I already know that,_ Atem thought. _I’ve always know that, since I first got him to smile at me._

A sudden crackling noise interrupted them, and Yugi’s voice cut in.

“ _Atem, I need you on the bridge immediately_ ,” he said before the intercom fizzled out.

“Oh dear, sounds serious,” Ryou commented.

“I better go, thanks for- wait, I never actually talked about what I can down for,” Atem cursed at himself, slapping his forehead.

“Well you have enough to deal with right now, so go deal with that and then come back, and we can talk about more things,” Ryou smiled at him, pushing him towards the door. “Don’t leave Yugi waiting.”

“Okay okay, I’m going. Thanks Ryou!” Atem yelled behind him, already racing out the door.

He left the infirmary behind as he tore down the corridor and to the elevator. It shot upwards, almost as if sensing his urgency, and opened out into the bridge.

“What’s wrong?” Atem said, skidding to a stop by Yugi’s station.

“Bakura,” Yugi said, flicking a screen over to Atem’s side. Atem glanced at it to see the unmistakable shape of Bakura’s mech, with Bakura’s face front and centre.

“He sent us an image of himself?” Atem asked, confused.

“A recording,” Yugi clarified.

“Isn’t that traceable?”

“I guess he didn’t think so,” Seto’s voice called, and Atem turned to see him set up from the lower part of the command centre. He walked up to them. “But there’s something more interesting that you should see.”

“What?” Atem looked back at the screen.

Yugi pressed a button and Bakura’s image suddenly started moving, sound pouring out.  

“Come on out you self-righteous assholes!” Bakura barked, a laugh following his words. “It’s time for another game of who can kill each other the fastest! Although so far, none of us seems to be winning! But I’m feeling game this time!”

“Augh,” Atem scrunched up his face. “What was the point in sending this?”

“To provoke us to go out on his terms,” Yugi said, his voice even. “Keep watching.”

Atem chose not to comment on Yugi’s clipped tone, instead focusing back on the screen where Bakura was pulling faces at the camera.

“Come on, idiots! Bring what’s his name in the little ship too. Atem, right?” Atem felt his blood freeze as his name rolled off Bakura’s tongue. “I know you’ll come dance with me again, just like we used to, before all this! Bring your mech guardians all you want, it won’t stop me from crushing you this time! You don’t stand a chance unless you bring out that mech of yours, so quit messing around and come fight!”

The transmission cut off, and the box with it, leaving Atem staring at a blank holographic screen, the far end of the bridge visible through the transparency.

“What… but…” Atem stared at it with wide eyes, unable to believe what he was hearing. Mech? Like they used to? But he didn’t know Bakura personally, so then… “But I’ve never… I don’t have…”

“Never met him before this? Don’t have a secret mech?” Seto said, eyes narrowing. “Then why is he acting like you two know each other more than that, and that you _do_ have a mecha? And why _now_ , Sennen?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Yugi said, and as Atem turned to him, he felt Yugi’s gaze burning straight into his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah plot, there you are. Get ready these next few chapters are going to get pretty intense!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit,,,, remember last chapter how I said things would get intense from here on out? Uh well,,,, 'here on out' is kind of this entire chapter because shit hits the fan completely in this chapter SO,,,, buckle down for the ride my dudes. We going 0 to 60 REAL FAST.

The twin power of Yugi and Kaiba’s glares on him made Atem wish he could dissolve into space right then and there.

He felt like a child under the judging eyes of classmates, or parents, or all those things he hadn’t grown up with and didn’t know anything about besides what others had told him about.

“I don’t know him like that,” Atem managed to say. “Besides as the enemy. I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

“What is this mech he mentioned?” Kaiba asked.

“Is it red?” Yugi spoke up, then seemed to realise what he said. “I mean, what kind of mech is it? And why haven’t we heard of it before?”

He felt static down his spine, and shivered. What was that feeling? It was like something was pressing against him, like having a pet on his shoulder watching him closely. _Why…_ he shook his head. He needed to focus. He could ask questions later.

“I’ve never piloted a mech in my life. You’ve seen my records, probably more than even I have. How could I falsify that?”

“Multiple ways,” Kaiba responded immediately, and Yugi gave him a dark look. Atem had the feeling there was history behind that, but he was in no position to address it.

He pressed on. “I mean, Bakura’s never mentioned anything about this before! Wouldn’t it have been better for him to not risk himself so much fighting me? Why mention it now? I don’t understand.”

Yugi and Kaiba exchanged glances, and Atem couldn’t help feeling hurt at the silent conversation they seemed to have with their eyes.

“I don’t know anything,” Atem protested weakly, feeling like his legs were about to give in. “I don’t remember my childhood and you both know it. I’ve been with the army for all I can remember.”

“You could have been faking it all this time. Really, we don’t know anything about you, Atem.” Kaiba said, drawing to his full imposing height.

Atem felt his heart shatter at those words. He felt like it would have stopped if Yugi had said them, but Yugi also wasn’t arguing back at Seto. He had an uncomfortable look on his face, but he was waiting for Atem’s answer as much as Kaiba was.

“You… really think that, Yugi?”

Yugi opened his mouth to reply, a strange expression on his face, but Kaiba spoke first.

“Stop avoiding the question, Sennen,” Kaiba barged back in, stepping between them.

“Seto, that’s enough,” Yugi said, his voice quiet yet stern. They stopped immediately, all eyes turning to him.

“But-” Seto began to protest, but Yugi shot him a scathing look, and he closed his mouth.

“He passed your test, so leave him alone. You’ve riled him up enough.” Yugi turned back to Atem, a guilty look over his face. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but he wouldn’t leave until you had.”

“You mean… this was all fake?” Atem frowned, glancing between them.

“He still never affirmed if he’s working with Bakura.” Seto mumbled.

“The whole time you were trying to rile him up about Bakura, he wouldn’t stop thinking about me and my reactions to all this,” Yugi said, glancing down at the floor. “He doesn’t know what Bakura is on about. It’s probably just a trick to drive a wedge between the team, and if that’s your immediate reaction to it, Seto, then I’d say it’s true.”

Seto growled, drawing his hands across his chest. “Fine. But we’re still going out to stop him, and if I see any kind of insubordination from you-” he jerked his head at Atem “-then you’ll feel just how strong Blue-Eyes’ claws are.”

He then stormed out of the room, and Atem swore the air felt warmer as he did.

But there was still what felt like a canyon between him and Yugi, the space yawning with mixed feelings.

“Yugi, why did you let him do that?” Atem asked.

“I had to. How do you think it feels when the guy causing you the most trouble casually admits to knowing your boyfriend? And I couldn’t let Kaiba see my confusion, but I think he did, and he jumped on it to make you take that test.”

“More like an interrogation. An unjust one. I understand your concern, but… to do so so heartlessly? Do you find my emotions so easy to play with?”

“Of course I don’t think of you like that,” Yugi frowned. “Do you have so little faith in me?”

“Do _you_ have faith in _me_?” Atem shot back, his brows furrowing. Yugi looked taken aback, but Atem pressed on. “I don’t appreciate being tested like this on my past, when I am so desperately trying to look to the future. I thought you were doing the same.”

“I am. I _do_ have faith in you. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” Yugi said quickly, and Atem could practically see the gears in his head turning as he overthought it.

“You… made me believe you didn’t care about me, even if it was just for a moment,” Atem squeezed his eyes shut, his hands fisting by his sides. He didn’t blame Yugi, he knew his hands were often tired when Kaiba pressed his power.

But his heart still felt torn for that one second where he thought Yugi believed Bakura’s words.

Yugi’s arms were suddenly around him, and he felt Yugi’s breath next to his ear. “I’m sorry. I felt rushed and I didn’t handle that as well as I should have. I was too much the commander and not enough the boyfriend. I’m sorry.”

Atem reached his arms up to clutch at the back of Yugi’s jacket, trying desperately not to let tears leak out. “Do you love me, Yugi?”

“Of course. With all my heart. Never doubt that, please.”

Atem tightened his grip, just as he felt Yugi do the same. Atem couldn’t help the shudder that went down his spine.

“What if… he’s right?” Atem whispered.

“Who, Seto? No, he’s not, and he won’t be pulling this again I can promise you that.” Yugi said sternly.

“No, Bakura. What if he knows something about my past? From before I woke up? What if we did know each other, long ago?”

“Then you were both different people, and that time has long passed,” Yugi said, gripping Atem’s shoulders. “Not to mention you were children, mere teenagers at most. I doubt it would have been anything to concern yourself with, if it was true. This _is_ Bakura we’re talking about.”

“And yet Kaiba felt eager to believe his tale.”

“I think Seto felt threatened by what Bakura said.” Yugi said, pressing closer to Atem’s side.

“He did?”

“Probably. I mean, if you teamed up with Bakura, as much as he hates to admit it, his team would probably fall apart without you. That would be a dangerous blow to our forces.”

“But I’m not about to- does Kaiba have _so_ little trust in me, after all this time? I thought he was better than that.” Atem scowled.

“He’s worried he’ll lose his perfect balance, and then everything will fall apart. Kaiba likes control, Atem.”

“Like you?” Atem said, meaning it as a joke.

Yugi snorted, giving him a wry smile. “And that’s why we would have never worked out.”

“Worked out? What do you-”

A sudden beeping pierced forcibly through their conversation, ringing loudly in Atem’s ears.

Yugi pulled away from him to trot up to his screens. “Looks like you need to get down to your ship, Atem.”

“We’re going out to fight?” Atem asked, and Yugi nodded. “All right,” Atem sighed, stepping towards the elevator.

“Wait,” Yugi called him back, and Atem paused. Just as he turned around, Yugi’s lips crashed with his. Arms swung around his, and he was pulled into a deep kiss.

As soon as it had begun, it ended, Yugi stepping away back towards his screens. “Be careful, please,” he whispered, giving Atem a meaningful look. “I couldn’t bear for anything to happen to you.”

“I will, I promise,” Atem said, giving Yugi his brightest smile. “I’ll come back.”

“You better,” Yugi said, face morphing back into his general mask. He gave a brief nod before focusing on his screens, fingers already flying across the transparent surfaces.

Atem took the elevator straight down to the hanger bay, hurrying over to his ship.

The Blue-Eyes was already lit up and away from its supports, massive head swung to regard the others. “ _Hurry up, Sennen!”_ Seto’s voice barked at him over the loud speaker, and Atem sighed.

He didn’t bother replying, Seto more than likely to not be able to hear him without a microphone of his own.

He vaulted into the pilot’s seat of his ship, strapping himself in quickly and lighting up all of his systems. The hanger bay cleared of staff, and the Blue-Eyes shot out of the protective field into the vacuum of space.

The Red-Eyes followed closely behind, and Atem was only a few moments behind her, his tiny ship zooming along to travel next to Jou. Soon they were arranged in a row, riding together with Kaiba in the lead.

They found Diabound in the last location the signal had traced through. He was floating in the air, lazily leaning at a horizontal angle. Atem could imagine Bakura in the exact same position inside, if he wasn’t guaranteed to be strapped in upright and tight in the cockpit. He had clearly been waiting for them to track him.

“ _How nice of you all to join me yet again,_ ” Bakura said with a chuckle. “ _You just can’t seem to get enough of me, can you?_ ”

“ _Or maybe you just don’t know when to quit,_ ” Kaiba drawled.

“ _Maybe you’re the ones who should quit,_ ” Bakura shot back. “ _After all, I’m so resilient that I keep coming back._ ”

“ _We’re bouncing right back against you, idiot!_ ” Jou called.

“ _Enough, let’s just get this over with,_ ” Kaiba grumbled.

Kaiba charged in first, the Blue-Eyes roaring through the entire com line. She surged forward to meet Diabound halfway, and they engaged in combat.

Both mechs were fast, tails snapping through space and wings battering back and forth. Blue-Eyes had more mass and strength, but Diabound was faster. His strikes were well timed, and he got more than one slice in against Blue-Eyes’ metal plates. The tail head sunk teeth in with a successful hit as well, the thick fangs cutting through the tough surface of the Blue-Eyes' armour like it was paper.

Atem raced forward to help, and he saw the Red-Eyes do the same, but Diabound had already dealt more than enough damage. He could hear Kaiba swearing down the line, and the cockpit was alive with warning signals until Kaiba shut his communications off.

Diabound slammed Blue-Eyes away, rounding on the Red-Eyes to spray bullets in her face. In the same movement, its tail spun around, the cheek of the snake head knocking into Atem’s ship.

 _Shit!_ Atem braced himself, his ship spinning dangerously through space. He tried desperately to get his thrusters to realign himself, but the ship was moving too fast to influence the direction.

He suddenly stopped, his ship forced out of its repetitive motion. He checked his hull, finding the Red-Eyes attached to the side. His ship was lodged in one of her giant clawed hands. He fixed his attention on the Blue-Eyes floating far from them, an image of it popping up over his window.

The Blue-Eyes had major damage to it, Diabound’s claw marks stretching fully down the side Atem could see. It seemed to jerk without commands, like it was trying to obey Kaiba’s, but couldn’t.

 _The systems must be fried_ , Atem thought. _Kaiba’s in danger, we need to get him back._ _Bakura must have channelled something through Diabound’s claws. He’s upgraded, somehow._

“Jou,” he switched on the communication line. “We need to get the Blue-Eyes out of here. She’s taken too much damage.”

“ _I see it, yikes_ ,” Jou sucked in his breath loudly. “ _Okay let’s distract him. I’ll go in first_.”

“Actually, I think I should distract him,” Atem said.

“ _You? Atem, buddy, sorry to say but you don’t have a mech… Diabound would_ -”

“I know but we don’t have time,” Atem interrupted. “I’ll be careful, and if you get Blue-Eyes far enough away, you can come back and help me.”

“ _I dunno, this plan seems…_ ”

“Jou, we can’t afford to lose the Blue-Eyes, and my ship can’t tow a mech. Just help me do this!”

“ _Augh, okay, but don’t go and die okay!_ ” Jou growled.

Atem was then flung forward, the Red-Eyes releasing her grip on his ship.

It tumbled towards Diabound, and Atem took the time to ready his missiles. He had four major hitters left in the barrels, enough to hopefully shake Bakura. He wasn’t sure if they’d pierce Diabound’s thick mecha armour, but if it would be enough to damage _something_ at least, it would give Kaiba enough time to recover and counterattack with Jou’s Red-Eyes.

He waited until it was closer, where Diabound wouldn’t have time to dodge. He fired before pulling away, letting his ship cruise past Diabound as it was blasted in the chest and shoulders.

He heard Bakura swear. “ _I’m getting really tired of this little peashooter,_ ” Bakura growled. Diabound turned to face Atem, wings spread wide and hands flexing. It recovered faster than Atem had thought.

He saw little jolts of electricity race along the edges of the claws, lighting up the whole palm.

There was no time to manoeuvre around.

Diabound’s claws hit with deadly accuracy, and Atem winced at the impact. He was jolted around the pilot’s chair, chest slamming into the harness. If it hadn’t have been there, he had a feeling he’d be splattered all over the thick window panel by now.

His ship cried out alarms at him, Diabound’s lightning racing through Atem’s ship’s system and frying it. His head spun from the attack, but he managed to jerk a handle backwards, and his ship spun to the side in response, thrusters on the left full blown while their twin’s sat stoically.

They didn’t move fast or far, the wires taking longer to relay messages while they battled the electric currents. It managed to get him away from Diabound, though, his gut tossing around from all the spinning, but he knew it would be simple for Diabound to give chase. He was being played with, the mechs were the real fighters here to Bakura.

“Damn it,” Atem muttered.

“ _Atem!”_ Yugi’s voice screamed at him, and for a second Atem thought he was right there beside him. He blinked, concentrating on where Diabound was lurking. He fired a missile at it to keep it away, which it avoided lazily, like Atem’s ship was hardly more than an annoyance to it.

“ _You are pathetic without your mech_.” Bakura sneered over the intercom. “ _Where is it? Surely you fixed it up. I bet it’s cosy and warm in that little warship of yours. Why haven’t you been fighting with it?! I gave you time to have your little false tripe around with that trash heap, but now it’s time to get serious, my dear Atem_.”

“Stop treating me like we’re friends!” Atem growled through gritted teeth. “And I don’t have a mech! I have no idea what you’re talking about and I don’t care!”

Bakura seemed to pause, until-

Wild, cackling laughter down the line. “ _You’re kidding. You can’t remember! There’s no way you’d forget your precious princely gift- nor how I took that special bonding moment away from you!_ ”

_What is he talking about? I don’t have a mech!_

_Or do I… maybe I did, in my past… but as a teenager? Impossible, and besides, Yugi and Kaiba were the first to pilot mechs, everyone knows that._

_But then where did Bakura come in? Was he here before Yugi and Kaiba? Are there… other places in the galaxy that have access to mech technology?_

He felt the gentle caress of something in his mind, like a hand on his shoulder, and… was that a growl? _How, and what-_

He snapped out of his thoughts as there was screeching down his line, and he realised it was coming from the flagship.

“ _I’m going to the field! Get out of my way!”_ voices crackled down the line, the hard sound of footsteps on metal.

 _“No Yugi you can’t-!”_ that was Anzu, Atem thought, and he heard grunting.

“ _They’ll die without him!”_

“ _Yugi wait- You can’t wake him up- Yugi-!”_

The line suddenly went dead, and Atem felt fear creep down his spine.

“ _Did Yugi just…_ ” Jou said, his voice quieter than Atem had ever heard.

“ _We need to get out of here, right now.”_ Kaiba growled. Atem paused, frowning in thought. Had… something had felt off about Kaiba’s tone just then. Was that… apprehension, Atem had heard?

“What’s going on?” Atem asked, but before Kaiba could answer, he saw Bakura moving.

 _Shit!_ He pulled his ship back just in time to see the fangs of Diabound’s tail snake clap around where his ship had just been. The sharp spikes of metal were dangerously close to him, so much so he could see the individual bolts and welding in the panels.

He brought his ship back around to face the cockpit of Diabound. It was much scarier up close, where he could tell his ship was tiny enough to fit between the mech’s claws. He didn’t like the image that thought brought up, of those metal talons clenching around his little ship, crushing it and him inside.

“ _Atem_!” Kaiba barked.

“I’ll cover your escape, just go!” Atem shouted back.

“ _You’ll be dead in seconds. We all need to flee, and now_!”

“He won’t let us all leave so easily,” Atem gritted his teeth. “Jou, you make sure Kaiba’s mech doesn’t total on us. My ship still has some kick left to it. I’ll hold Bakura off for as long as I can.”

“ _For what!_?” Jou screamed.

“Your escape,” Atem grunted, clutching the handles tighter. “We can’t afford to lose those mechs.”

“ _You’ll die_ ,” Kaiba rasped.

 _I know_. “Then you had better get going, captain!”

A string of curses came down the line so loud Atem winced, switching off his connection with the Blue-Eyes. He heard Jou muttering under his breath, but was relieved when the Red-Eyes began to push the Blue-Eyes back towards the flagship.

With Kaiba’s mech out of the fight, and Jou working to keep it safe, it was up to Atem to distract Bakura long enough for them to escape.

He looked into the eye slot windows of Diabound and swallowed back his nerves.

It was now or never.

* * *

Yugi felt his heart in his throat, his stomach an unreliable sea of storms as it battled to keep his lunch down.

 _God, please, don’t let anything happen to him,_ he thought, blinking tears out of his eyes. He’d never seen Bakura that ruthless before, the damaged image of the Blue-Eyes burned into the back of his eyes

He couldn’t stop thinking about Atem in that position instead. _I should have let him see the mech,_ he thought, regret pouring through his whole body until he felt heavy from it. _I should have given it to him!_ _It would be more protection than his ship could offer, and it’s build for him to control. I’m so stupid, I let my fears cloud my decisions, all because I was too worried he would end up like me. He should have been flying out there in that dragon._

He felt a nudge. Disagreement, it seemed to feel like. Of course. Atem didn’t need a mech, he didn’t need that lifelong damage because Yugi could protect him instead.

The consequences, though… that was something else.

Lightning raced down his spine, and he jolted, eyes wide. In his mind he could perfectly picture how Bakura’s mech could crush Atem’s little ship. The little ship he was so proud of, and yet was so vulnerable in the face of a superior machine.

The yawning gap in his mind where the other consciousness fit so nicely called to him. It begged him to complete it, and he felt the consciousness nudging at him in agreement. They should be together. It was normal. It was _right_.

The elevator spat him out to a deserted section of the hanger bay, and Yugi crossed it towards another equally empty corridor.

He slammed the doors at the end open, rushing into the room to skid to a stop in the middle. He stared up at the bleak, imposing figure of his mech. Dark, clawed hands that looked as sharp as the days Yugi had used them to tear apart enemy vessels. Giant curved spheres that held searing lasers inside each and every one of them, dotting the entire mech. He had remembered using the ultimate move, as he called it, once before. All power deferred to the lasers in a brilliant and deadly display of instant death.

Instant destruction.

Except that had been the tipping point for him, and soon after, chaos had erupted.

“Gandora,” Yugi started, hating how his voice wavered so easily. “I know you can hear me. I need you.”

Amusement. He could practically hear the voice he had constructed for Gandora in his head. _Me, really?_ You _need_ me _? How funny._ He was sure the dragon would laugh aloud if it could.

“You have the power to stop Bakura,” Yugi went on, ignoring Gandora’s sarcasm. “But you need me to get off this ship. I propose a deal.”

He could tell Gandora was listening intently, all trace of joking aside. It was almost like Gandora was leaning in, even when the mech stayed stone still.

“You save Atem and the team, and I’ll give myself to you. Sound fair?” Yugi asked.

Agreement. And yet, he felt a twinge of disbelief. Cautious disbelief.

“You’re concerned I’ll try and break free,” Yugi nodded. “A fair worry. But I promise I won’t resist. I won’t try to take control, as long as you promise to keep Atem safe. Please. I couldn’t bear for anything to happen to him. He’s my… my sun.” Yugi lowered his gaze, squeezing his hands into fists. “ _Please_.”

Yugi tore off his jacket, tossing it to the side. He raised his arms forward, palms up, showing off his bracers. “I won’t resist. But you _must_ save him. Please. We’re running out of time.”

He felt Gandora considering this, processing. The mind pressed against his, quivering, like it was eager to jump in and merge both their consciousness right then and there.

Finally, after what felt like too long for Yugi and his hysterical mind- _please, Atem, don’t die, god please be safe_ \- he felt Gandora’s agreement.

He felt his body slacken, only to freeze at the next thought. He glanced down at his hands, and felt the tightness of the leather around them. _I have to take off my guards._

He raised a shaky hand up to touch the fabric of the other wrist. He fumbled around for the clasps, tearing through velcro and latches.

The leather bracer peeled off him with little resistance, and he watched it bunch on the ground.

Wires snaked forward, coming up off the ground to sway in front of him. Yugi eyed them warily as he slowly took off his other brace, letting it fall to the ground with its twin. He didn’t question how Gandora operated the wires without being connected and turned on. He didn’t think he wanted to know.

One of the wires suddenly bent down to flick the braces away, and Yugi couldn’t help the whine that left his mouth as he watched them disappear into the darkness.

Another wire pointed forward with the metal jack at the end, and Yugi’s heart sank when he realised it was gesturing to his neck.

“O-Of course,” Yugi swallowed back his nerves. _Think of Atem. You’re doing this to save him. You can’t let him die. You’ll be fine, Gandora can’t kill his own pilot._

_And he shouldn’t hurt Atem. That’s what matters._

He reached up with his now bare hands, tugging at the buckle resting over his throat. It came loose eventually, and he slide the leather off, exposing his neck.

He paused for a moment, one of his fingers brushing over the metal hole in the back of his neck. He shuddered, unable to stop himself.

He quickly pulled his hands away, throwing the choker off in the opposite direction of the braces. He felt Gandora’s rumble of approval.

“I’m yours,” Yugi said, arms open wide and head bowed in an offer of peace.

He saw the wires start forward, and he tried not to flinch as they began to wrap around his wrists, tugging him forward.

He began walking forward, until it must have been too slow for Gandora, as he suddenly whisked Yugi into the air, hurling him towards the bulky form.

But he wasn’t been lead to the cockpit, Yugi realised. His eyes widened as his body was tossed into the centre of Gandora’s chest, right against the giant gem in the middle.

It jolted under his presence, and he felt it mould around him, like it was made of liquid.

He gasped, then promptly shut both his mouth and eyes as Gandora pushed him inside, the malleable material swallowing him up until it was a smooth sphere once again, and Yugi was suspended behind it.

 _I thought that was some kind of metal, how did… it shouldn’t have been able to-_ Yugi felt his thoughts break off as the wires supporting him suddenly loosened, and he dropped to the bottom of the sphere.

More wires appeared and promptly picked him up before he had time to move again, and they repositioned him so that he was facing outward, his back to the metal of Gandora’s heart.

“But this isn’t the cockpit.” Yugi protested. He felt Gandora rumble something, but he couldn’t feel anything inside the sphere. It was like everything was muffled, even his hearing couldn’t pick anything up. The wires moved soundlessly around him, more appearing and piling over him, pulling across him tighter. They were everywhere, everywhere except his arms and neck.

 _Oh god…_ Yugi squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears pour down his face.

He felt the wires creeping around his arms, tentatively touching his wrists and the holes in them. He choked back a sob. _For Atem… I’d do anything._

_Even give myself up to my worst nightmare._

He felt the jacks stab into his wrists, and he screamed. It only lasted seconds, as he heard Gandora’s rumbly thoughts before something entered the point on the nape of his neck, and all he knew was darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 0 TO 60 IN THREE POINT FIVE BABY YOU GOT THE KEYS-  
> IT'S GANDORA T I M E.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gunna be out most of the day so early chapter update instead of a late one! Enjoy <3

There was no way he would be able to beat Bakura.

As their ships danced around the open field of space, it became apparent that Bakura was just playing with him. Atem’s ship was blaring alarms at him, several core functions flashing in dangerous red.

It wouldn’t be long before one of them went offline, and the engine would crash from the pressure. He’d be lucky if he could make it back to base after this, let alone keep his ship flying.

Of course, it would be a lot easier to concentrate if he didn’t have Bakura taunting him constantly down the line.

“ _What’s wrong, Atem?”_ Bakura cackled. “ _Oh wait, could it be all your friends are too hurt to fight? Shame you don’t have that mecha!”_

“What mecha are you talking about?!” Atem shouted. “I don’t have one!”

If he had expected Bakura to give him a straight answer, he would be disappointed. Bakura just continued laughing down the line until Atem cut him off.

As soon as he did, another line burst to life.

“ _Atem! Atem can you hear me?! Atem!_ ” Anzu’s voice screamed in his ear, louder than the alarms.

“Anzu?” Atem replied with a wince. “What are you doing- this is the command line, where’s Yugi?”

“ _He’s gone!_ ” Anzu cried. “ _He took off and-!_ ” the line crackled, Anzu’s voice distorting. Atem couldn’t make out any more words.

“Anzu? Anzu! Where is Yugi!?” Panic tore across Atem’s chest, his heart thumping almost painfully against his seat restraints.

He glanced out the cockpit window just in time to see Diabound’s claws slam into him.

“Fuck!” he screamed, hands jerking the handles up. His ship groaned in protest, the hull rustling worryingly. _Come on, please!_ He begged it silently.

Diabound did little more than push him away, and Atem’s blood boiled at being nothing more than a play thing. Bakura didn’t see him as a decent opponent.

“Just because I don’t have a mech doesn’t mean I’m worthless,” he gritted out, grinding his rows of teeth together.

He didn’t mean to be heard, but Bakura had reconnected their lines, and picked it up. He laughed at Atem, slapping something metallic in his cockpit.

“ _Without a mech you are worthless, dear Atem. You may have that natural pilot flare from your past, but without your shining beast to ride into battle you can’t do_ anything _to me_.”

Atem froze, eyes widening. “My past…? You mean, you-”

“ _That’s enough talk for today don’t you think?”_ Bakura interrupted, snapping down the line. “ _I think I’ll see you try and crawl out of this situation I’ve left you in. But with one less thruster…”_

Bakura’s mech loomed in from of him, arm reached out to strike-

And then they all heard a piercing roar through the microphone. Atem felt his veins turn to ice, and his hands clamped up around the ship’s handles.

“What was… that?” Atem whispered, hands shaking. He wanted to pull up his scanners, but his limbs were frozen. Whatever that was… he hoped he never heard a sound like that ever again.

Diabound was suddenly reeling back, thruster pushing it in reverse and away from Atem.

 _What is he up to?_ Atem wondered. He pulled his own ship further away, wary of anything Diabound could launch at that distance.

He heard a static growl through the mic and his sensors suddenly went haywire with readings. Before he could process what was happening, a dark shape entered his field of vision.

He saw giant red spheres glowing with a dangerous energy, and thick, black plates covering the entirety of his view panel. His ship drifted backwards from the force of the new ship’s thrusters, and Atem was able to see the entire thing before him.

It wasn’t a ship. It was a mech. A huge one, with giant metal claws and spikes sprouting out of its body all along its back.

A dragon mech. And one Atem had seen before.

But that’s- that’s Yugi’s mech,” Atem gasped, eyes wide and taking it in. Gandora, he remembered Yugi called it. The giant, bulky black dragon.

The cause of the accident that took Yugi off the field.

 _But then… why is it back now? Is Yugi in it?_ Atem reached for his mic, initiating contact with Gandora.

The Mech’s head turned towards him, and he was close enough to see through the yellow tinted eye sockets. He froze.

There was no one in the pilot’s seat.

“Yugi…? Where is he…?” Nothing was coming through the feed with Gandora, although Atem could see in the corner of his screen the light was on for the connection. So Gandora was listening, but not replying.

But did that mean Yugi could hear him? Where was he?

And if he couldn’t, then… who was in the mech? And _where_?

“Yugi! Can you hear me? Where are you? Who is in that dragon?” he tried, keeping an eye on Bakura’s mech standing motionless there. It was as if Diabound and Bakura inside it were both still in shock from Gandora’s presence.

“ _What the fuck is that?”_ Bakura’s voice came through, and Atem briefly wondered if he hadn’t turned off their line properly. “ _A black dragon? You_ did _have another mech and you refused to fight me with it. You idiots!”_

Gandora growled, his mouth parting to reveal rows of sharp metal teeth.

Atem felt a prick in the back of his mind, pain throbbing as if a needle had pierced his skull.

“Ow!” he reached back to scrub at his head, ruining the strands pulled in the ponytail. Several locks sprung loose to curl around his face, but he ignored them. For some reason, his head with aching. It felt like he had interference bouncing around in his skull, like a ringing tone he couldn’t turn off right in his ears.

“ _Well now, this is interesting_ ,” Bakura muttered through the line.

“What is?” Atem asked, grunting through the throbbing, and he heard Bakura yelp in surprise.

“ _Nothing you goody two-shoes_.” Bakura snapped, before the line cut out. Atem tried to redial it but Bakura had shut his mech’s signal off.

“Augh, the nerve,” Atem grunted. His eyes drifted to where Gandora was hovering around them. Its head hadn’t moved from where it had turned to Atem’s ship. Atem had the distinct feeling of being watched, like the windows that served as eye sockets in the design were actually eyes, and Gandora was gazing at him.

 _But that’s stupid,_ Atem shook his head, trying to clear his head of the buzzing. _It’s a machine. It doesn’t-_

His head exploded with pain, and he yelped.

“Fuck!” both his hands left the control handles to cup the sides of his head. He felt anger rolling under his skin, but his body made no move to express it. He paused, stilling his head and processing it. It didn’t quite feel like it was his own, like he was being fed the emotions of another. _But how is that possible? I’m not linked to anything, nor have I ever seen that kind of technology near us. Maybe it’s-_

Atem stopped, lifting his head. Gandora stared back at him, still refusing to move. As still as he had been in the hanger bay.

He tentatively moved a hand to his forehead, smoothing up through his hair to where the pain felt strongest. Just as his fingers slipped over the back, the throbbing dulled, anger fading away, and he blinked in surprise.

His mind flew back to all the moments he had experienced mechas up close, all the times he had watched Kaiba and Jou in their dragons. He recalled the way Jou often spoke as if Red-Eyes replied to the things he said. That he thought of _her_ as a partner, not a vehicle.

Atem let out a shudder, flexing his fingers to keep them from going stiff and pulling out his hair. Offhandedly he wondered what Bakura was doing, and why he had ceased fire. Maybe he had high tailed it out while Atem was distracted.

“Gandora,” Atem started, lowering his hand to grasp at a handle. “Where is Yugi?”

The dragon let out a soft growl. One of his hands raised forward, a sharp talon stretching towards Atem’s ship. It gently touched the haul, tilting it downwards.

“W-Woah!” Atem reached up to flick several switches to boost the stabilisers.

His ship wobbled for a moment before the momentum ceased. He was left pointing towards the dragon’s chest, where a huge red tinted orb was embedded in the surface. Atem squinted, drawing his head closer. He could make out a shape inside it, something that seemed fairly human and-

His eyes widened, and he let out a gasp.

He was barely there, so much so Atem thought it couldn’t be true. The wires covered his arms and legs completely, and more were wrapped around his neck, enough that Atem was concerned they were choking him. But there was no mistaking that face, the gentle, soft bangs he saw so rarely framing it perfectly, as they did now.

“Yugi!” he screamed, slamming his hands into the handles, thrusts set to go full throttle. He heard Gandora’s warning cry, right before the beast shot backwards from him, claws extended to block Atem’s advances.

Atem slammed his brakes on, slowing down to a crawl right in front of Gandora’s huge clawed hands.

He felt something push at his mind again, but this time it wasn’t pain. It felt like…

 _Wait a minute. An emotion? Is that… annoyance I can feel?_ Atem felt his eyes widen in shock. _It’s not mine. It’s someone else’s. But how… and…_

He looked up to where Gandora had removed his claws, head looming over Atem’s tiny ship. Once again he felt like he was being watched, and he swallowed nervously.

“It’s _you_ …” he realised, something staticky passing down his spine. “You’re in my head somehow…”

Gandora’s neck stretched further out, and he parted his teeth. A growl came through the line, only serving to baffle Atem more.

“But how… this feels familiar, and yet… not. I’m… What have you done to Yugi?” Atem shook his head, and the growling grew in volume.

Gandora roared at him, wings tilting his blasters back. The force drew him away, and then he turned his giant metal body towards Bakura.

Atem hadn’t realised Diabound was still floating there, too worked up over Gandora and then Yugi-

“Wait what are you doing!?” Atem shouted. Gandora blasted towards Diabound, claws extended to rake up its sides. Bakura managed to turn his mech sideways so Gandora’s talons only caught half of Diabound.

Diabound’s wings glowed bright with energy, and then it was racing away into the distance, soon no more than a spot in the depths of space.

Gandora roared, wings spreading wide, and he shot after Bakura.

“No! Yugi!” Atem slammed his handles forward, but his ship lurched instead, slowly trying to gather enough drive to boost.

“ _Atem, we need to get out of here, now_.” Jou’s voice suddenly crackled through the line. Atem could see the Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes as two dots close together on his map, somewhere behind him.

“We can’t just leave Yugi! We have to go after him!” Atem protested.

“ _We won’t be any help in any fight. We need to get repairs before anything else_.”

“But-”

“ _Listen Atem_ ,” Jou cut in, and Atem was surprised at how serious his tone was, the weight he felt behind it. “ _I want to go after Yugi too, but we can’t in this condition. Your ship and Kaiba’s are in the worst state. I can barely tow the Blue-Eyes as it is. And what if you did go after them and got hit? And your ship fell apart? How could you help Yugi if you were dead?_ ”

Atem bowed his head, nodding, despite how Jou would not see it with visuals turned off. His ship couldn’t even muster the energy for that. _I’m sorry, Yugi. We’ll come back, I promise._

“All right, let’s get back as soon as possible.” Atem agreed, angling his ship to the opposite side of the Blue-Eyes.

Jou replied with something, but Atem couldn’t hear him. His mind was a thousand miles away, worrying about Yugi. But when he turned his ship to the side to look out into the abyss of space, he saw no sign of him.

There was a sinking feeling in his gut as he knew he was coming home and Yugi wouldn’t be there to greet him.


	12. Chapter 12

Atem pulled into the hanger bay, watching the staff scramble to keep their ships from tearing apart the moment they touched down.

He looked over at the Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes as he crawled out of his beat up vehicle. They seemed to be in bad shape, with the Blue-Eyes especially mauled by Diabound’s claws. The gashes down her sides looked like they could take months to fix and meld back to something battle ready.

Jou’s mech had luckily escaped dangerous damage, but it had cost Atem his ship in the process. Looking at the magician now, he wasn’t sure she would ever fly again. _It might be too late to fix her up,_ he mourned.

_Maybe it’s too late for us all._

_No, I can’t lose hope. Yugi needs me, and if I give up, I’ll never be able to free him._

“Atem!” Anzu’s shrill voice called to him. He marvelled at the distance it covered as he saw her approaching, running down from the very far end of the hanger bay.

He waited until she was much closer to reply. “Anzu, what happened back here?”

“Yugi he just- he just ran out. He left the command centre and went down to the hanger bay.”

“Gandora’s hanger bay,” Atem nodded, everything slotting together. “He restored Gandora’s functions and set it back online.”

“I don’t know what happened though,” Anzu said, and Atem could see her hands were shaking. “I could see him through your ship’s sensors and it all looked wrong. He wasn’t in the pilot’s seat, and you shouldn’t be able to do anything without those command tools.”

The silent question hung between them, and Atem could see Anzu felt the same.

_So then how was Gandora able to function?_

“First things first, we need to save Yugi,” Atem said. “He’s in danger. Anything could happen in that gem, and if he’s not piloting Gandora, then we also need to work out who is. That could be a danger to him as well.”

“And _us_ ,” Kaiba said, suddenly appearing behind Atem. He folded his arms over his chest and levelled an icy look at them. “What happened to Mutou out there? Why was Gandora let out? There were strict instructions on that dragon.”

“Yugi let it out,” Atem answered. “We don’t know why.”

Kaiba scoffed. “It’s obvious why. Because _you_ were getting your ass kicked and Yugi was worried he’d lose his _boyfriend_.”

That was the last straw.

Atem slammed his hands into Kaiba’s chest, pushing him a great deal backwards. “I have had it up to here with your snarky comments Kaiba!” Atem exploded, throwing his hands up. “This is not a game! Yugi is in very real danger, and so are all of us, as you so _kindly_ pointed out. So why don’t you stop being a brooding asshole over whatever ruined your life and start thinking about the safety of the _whole fucking solar system_.”

Kaiba opened his mouth, no doubt to argue, but promptly clamped it shut again.

“You need to stop being jealous that Yugi chose Atem, Seto,” Anzu said, stepping forward to pin a glare at the tall man. “Grow the fuck up and help us deal with this shit. Or did you forget part of it is _your_ fault?”

Atem felt his anger simmering down, the steam cooling and sense returning to his limbs. He unclasped his fists, shaking them to relieve the ache. He hadn’t even noticed how tense he had become.

“How is this partly your fault?” he asked, aware how cold his tone sounded. Anzu shot him a worried look, but Kaiba just glared at him.

And then he looked away, and Atem caught the shame in his eyes. “I pushed Yugi to do better with his mech. I tried to tell him to handle it like mine, but his was a dark class, and mine is light. They don’t… the AI doesn’t act the same way.”

“I heard Yugi mention that before…” Atem muttered, tapping his chin. “So… what does it mean? What does being a ‘dark class’ mecha entitle?”

“The AI is more brutal and power hungry. Well, Yugi’s was, at least. The Red-Eyes is technically dark class as well, and yet it seems as tame as ever.” Kaiba’s gaze pointed Atem towards where the Red-Eyes was being examined, catwalks already covering her entire circumference.

Jou chose that moment to come racing over from the same direction. After quickly examining all their faces, he gave a grimace of his own.

“Are we talking about how fucked up Gandora seemed? Cause that wasn’t normal, what Atem saw back there,” he said.

“We need a way to get him out. The AI must be controlling itself somehow. Like an auto pilot.” Atem reasoned. He tried to continue the train of thought, but he found the whispering sound he had heard nights before had returned. He shook his head, trying to get rid of it, but it clung there, much the same as Gandora’s presence had.

“But we approach Gandora with malicious intent and it’ll tear us apart,” Kaiba said. “Do you know how hard it was to hold it back the first time it went haywire?”

“No because everyone refuses to talk about what happened. All these rumours do more harm than good, you know. Even Yugi won’t tell me anything.” Atem cupped one of his ears. It was starting to ring now, like a little alarm bell going off in his head. Why was it getting stronger? He still hadn’t asked Ryou about it, and now he was worried. There was so much on his mind already, and he needed to focus on saving Yugi. Not whatever was trying to invade his mind.

“It’s a painful memory I’m sure,” Anzu put her hand on Atem’s shoulder, worry creasing her brows.

Atem lowered his hand, offering a half smile, trying to hide a wince. “Can you hear that? Sorry, it’s just… a really weird feeling. And a ringing? Can you all hear a loud ringing?”

Anzu and Kaiba both frowned at him. “No,” they said at the same time.

“Right right, sorry, I guess the alarms from my ship are still bouncing in my ears…” Atem cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Whatever,” Kaiba said, and for once Atem was glad he was shifting the focus. “The long story short is Yugi tried to take full control of Gandora and Gandora didn’t like it. It’s a fickle AI, and it went berserk. We managed to get it to stop, Yugi shut it down, and he never returned to field duty. Then he was promoted to admiral so he wouldn’t have to.”

“Wow. Even that sounds dry coming from you,” Atem couldn’t help his sarcasm, even as Kaiba rolled his eyes at him.

“Whatever. The fact is, there’s a dangerous mech out there and Yugi has no control over it. My mech is out of commission for who knows how long, the Red-Eyes won’t be able to launch for a few days at least, and your ship will probably never fly again.”

“I know.” Atem sighed, glancing at the part of his ship’s hull he could see peeking out from behind the Red-Eyes. “What do you propose we do, then?”

Anzu and Kaiba exchanged a glance and Atem had the feeling there was something he was missing.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Well,” Anzu started. “There might be something that can fight Gandora here.”

“There is?” Atem blinked, quickly glancing around. There was nothing new in the hanger bay from what he could tell.

“It’s not here here. It’s… okay, let’s just go,” Anzu said, gesturing for them to follow her.

Atem gave Kaiba a questioning glance, but he just muttered something similar to Anzu, taking off after her. Atem soon joined them.

Anzu took them to the row of elevators and down a storey. It was close to the very bottom of the hull, where the warehouse style spaces were smaller.

This was below their usual dock and where Gandora had slept. It was a level Atem had never even considered before, which he supposed made it the perfect place to hide things.

And he was right.

When the elevator parted and they all stepped out, Atem was greeted with a huge shape shrouded in black curtains. He could see a rough figure outlined by the lighting behind the ruffles of cloth.

“I’d say this is top secret, but you were bound to find out sooner or later, and besides, we need this now.” Anzu walked up to a control panel, pressing several buttons that flashed in response.

The sound of a pulley lifting rang loudly in the open space. Slowly, the curtains dragged along a track Atem could see attached to their tops.

They parted, and in their dark, dreary place came a shining burst of fire.

Light from above reflected off the surface of a sleek paint job. An inferno of red cascaded down a series of metal links, like a giant robotic snake.

It was a dragon, Atem knew, but it was nothing like any of the others he had seen. This one was long, winding over and under a series of thick support beams. The strangest feature was the head, which sported two sets of metal teeth in the shape of two mouths. It looked stretched out for inspection, and Atem wondered who had been looking at it.

 _These two, I guess,_ he turned back to Anzu, glancing at Kaiba briefly. _Or maybe just Anzu,_ judging from Kaiba’s slightly wider stare. He seemed to be taking it in for the first time, just like Atem.

“What is it?” Atem whispered. He felt like if he dared to raise his voice, lightning would strike him in divine anger. This felt like a god before him, a massive creature that seemed to breathe with a life of its own.

“It’s just a mech,” Kaiba scoffed, and Atem felt the mood dampen.

He heard a low growl and immediately tensed. “Kaiba, I don’t think you should anger it like that.”

“It doesn’t have a pilot. I can’t anger an AI that doesn’t exist yet,” Kaiba rolled his eyes.

“Why doesn’t it have a pilot? We have this incredible mech down here and no one is using it?” _We could have used this to help Yugi,_ Atem lowered his gaze, fists clenching. _If we had someone in this, then Yugi wouldn’t have needed to go to Gandora in the first place._

“Yugi didn’t feel it was ready…” Anzu offered in way of explanation.

“He didn’t feel _you_ were ready,” Kaiba said, turning to glare at Atem.

“ _Me_?” Atem asked, eyes widening. “Do you mean- that mech is supposed to be _mine_?”

“It was only a matter of time before your ship gave out in battle. Yugi was worried, and the government wanted better results. They knew you were a good pilot- their words, not mine- and they wanted you in a mech to use your skills better.”

“A mech of my own…” Atem turned back to the beast in front of them. A dragon of his own, to fight side by side in, just like the rest of his team. He wouldn’t be a weak link anymore, he could hold his own. If only he had this before. He would have been able to beat back Bakura while Jou took Kaiba to safety.

“How soon can it go out?” he asked Anzu.

“Atem I know you’re eager to chase after Gandora, but you’ll need to test it first,” Anzu said. “Linking with a mech’s AI takes time, and it could damage you if you rush it.”

“Not to mention the new method is still a bit risky,” Kaiba added. “It’s not as risky as what Yugi and I had to do, but Masaki is right, it _will_ take time.”

“We don’t have that time. Besides, I think… it should be okay,” Atem nodded. Something felt right about this mech. Like it was something he belonged to. That belonged to him.

“I would say basing a million dollar government project on a ‘feeling’ would be a bad idea,” Kaiba grunted. “But I suppose we really don’t have time. You’re the one risking it, I hope you know; with our mechs down, and without Yugi keeping everything together here, a strike from anywhere could be fatal to us.”

Anzu sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. But Atem… these risks… If you link up with it wrong...”

“We can’t afford to worry about them,” Atem replied. “Not while Yugi is still out there. He risked getting into Gandora for me. It’s only fair I risk my life for him in return.”

“God, you two really are perfect for each other,” Kaiba sighed. “All right, get in the cockpit, Sennen. Anzu, you deal with the safety latches and getting this thing out of an airlock. I’m taking over the controls.”

Anzu stepped away towards a set of stairs back along the entrance wall. They lead up to a row of switches on a wall, too far away for Atem to make out names.

“Come on, Sennen, get in the mech already,” Kaiba shot him a glare, and Atem shrugged helplessly.

“All right, no need to get so snappy.”

“We don’t have time to dawdle.”

Atem felt his expression fall. “Yeah, we don’t.”

The platform they were on was slightly raised above the ground floor. There was a small metal staircase leading down, which Atem took to reach the bottom. He walked out towards the mech until he was right beside it, within arm’s length of touching the metal hide.

His mind was bustling with activity, and not all of it was his own. He could feel the gentle thrum in his head growing louder the closer he was to the mech.

“You’re the thing that’s been making these noises in my head,” Atem spoke, walking forward. He reached out to touch the side, hand sliding over smooth metal. He felt a low hum in the back of his mind in response.

It was almost like a purr, one he had heard before. “You’ve been calling to me,” Atem muttered, bringing his other hand forward as well. He rested a cheek against the red. It was cold, and yet his mind was flooding with warmth at the contact.

“I feel like I’ve missed you. I don’t know why, but… this feels right.” He turned around to where Kaiba and Anzu were above. “Hey, Anzu!”

“Yeah?” Anzu shouted back.

“When did this mech arrive here?”

“When we were planet side last!”

 _That’s when this started happening,_ Atem turned back to the hulking mass in front of him. _You were trying to get my attention. You knew we had to link._

“You’re already ready, aren’t you?” he asked it. A loud rumble was his answer. He shouted at Anzu again. “I’m ready to give it a shot!”

“Opening the cockpit now! You’ll have to use the pulley near you to get up there!” Anzu shouted back.

“Okay!” Atem took a quick pivot around, finding a platform with a small control box on it. He stepped onto it, pressing an upwards facing arrow, and the lift shot upwards.

He stopped it level with the dragon’s eye windows. The hood was down over the cockpit, but as he stood there it slowly began to lift, granting him access. He assumed Anzu had pressed the switch.

Once the entire cockpit was revealed to him, he hopped inside.

There was a visor waiting for him on the pilot’s seat. He knew what it was for from Jou giving him all the details about mech linking from his sessions. It would serve to link his conscious with the AI’s, and bond them together. Jou said it had taken him a while at first to calm his AI down enough to bond. Kaiba never spoke of his.

 _So this could go on for a while,_ Atem made a non-committal sound, flopping into the chair. He turned the visor around in his hands, looking at the tiny metallic pieces lining the edges. That was what would go over his eyes, sending pulses to the frequency of the AI’s conscious.

 _Well, it’s now or never…_ He put the visor on, turning the dials until he heard it hum with power.

He felt the pull of something immediately. Another presence nudged against his mind, more than a feeling. This time it was corporeal, and he felt how solid it was.

It kept nudging him, making no effort to dive into his conscious, but persistent, nonetheless. He took a deep breath, letting his body loose its tenseness in the seat.

He let his mind open up, and the other conscious wrapped around his immediately, slotting in like it had a place there all along.

 _Finally, we are together,_ a deep voice rumbled in his mind. It was comforting and warm, and yet spoke of power thrumming under the low tone.

“Who are you?’ Atem asked, feeling breathless at the presence.

 _Your partner in arms._ _I have been waiting for you, ancient pilot. It has taken many centuries for us to be reunited._

“Reunited?” Atem frowned. “We’ve met before? But I’ve never piloted a mech in my life. And wait, did you say _centuries_?”

_Not this life you haven’t. I can see from your memories. But you appear to be lacking further back from your teen years. You do not remember your childhood._

“No. I have bad amnesia that I never recovered from. I was told my memory might never return.” Atem sighed, relaxing further back into the chair. “I try not to think about it.”

 _It is because you experienced it centuries ago,_ the dragon explained, and Atem felt a gentle brush against his mind. _You have been asleep for a very long time, as have I. It was only recently I was able to recover my strength enough to function. Sadly I am not as powerful as I once was, but together, we can grow stronger._

“I’m… wait, centuries ago? That’s so weird to think about… Can you tell me about my past? Do you know?”

 _I met you when you were the age you were frozen at, I’m afraid,_ there was a flush of sadness, and a tiny nudge. _I was not present for your childhood, just the last year you had on_ _Yet-aghy._

“I’m from Yet-aghy? But that makes no sense, it’s-” Atem’s eyes widened. “It’s been dormant for thousands of years… And it’s toxic…”

 _The planet has lost its purpose over time, yes,_ the dragon said sadly. _And my kind are no longer grown there. I have vague memories of my core being dug up, and then I woke up in this body you see here, when I felt your energy close by._

“ _Sennen_?” Kaiba’s voice cut in. “ _Are you still alive in there? Respond!_ ”

“Oh shit,” Atem muttered. “Where’s the intercom switch?”

A light suddenly flickered on, and Atem heard his breathing loudly through speakers on the dragon somewhere. “Uh, yeah I’m alive. Sorry, I was talking to the dragon.”

“Now isn’t the time for games, Sennen. Can’t believe I have to use your words back at you,” Kaiba muttered.

“Right… Yugi,” Atem closed his eyes, hands resting on the dashboard. “Red dragon… my partner is in trouble out there, and he needs our help.”

_Partner?_

“My life partner. My soulmate. The… most important person in my life. I would do anything for him, and I know he would do anything for me. He didn’t want to get back in that mech, but he did, because… I was in trouble. But now he is, and he needs me like I needed him,” Atem opened his eyes, trying his best to give all the emotions he felt about Yugi to the dragon. “ _Please_. I need your help to free him.”

_I will help you find your soulmate, Atem, do not worry._

“You know my name?”

 _I can see into your memories,_ the dragon sounded amused.

“But then what do I call you? ‘Red dragon’ is hardly a qualifying name for one so majestic.”

The dragon chuckled. _I believe you called me ‘Osiris’, when we first met._

“Osiris…” Atem felt his mind buzzing from the name. He felt flashes of moments long past. Scenes in deserts with horses, and in high ceiling temples filled with ancient technology.

“I’ve seen you before. I…” he remembered touching the side of Osiris before, when the metal was a different shade of red, and the sun bounced off the hull in a shining mass of breathtaking colours.

Atem was blow away, his eyes wide as he tried to chase the memory. He had thought the lights in the hanger bay had made Osiris look glorious, but he now realised that paled in comparison to how proud and beautiful the dragon had looked in his first life.

“Osiris,” Atem murmured, stroking the dashboard. “It feels so good to finally link with you. I see flashes of what once was, now. My old life. We were destined for each other, weren’t we?”

_I was made for you, my pilot. There is no other who could fly me over the rolling dunes._

“Incredible,” Atem shook his head, taking a moment to appreciate Osiris’s presence in his mind. He hadn’t realised he was missing something. All those years of chasing something on bikes and ships, and it had been this all along. He _had_ been searching for something, something that kept him restless and in need of travel. It was this. _Him_. Osiris.

“ _Atem, can you hear me? Are you all right?_ ” Anzu’s voice called to him.

“Oh, ah, yes, sorry.” _Did they hear all that?_ Atem felt his face flush. _Kaiba will never let me live that down if he did._

 _I turned the voice channel off when you stopped responding to the other humans,_ Osiris supplied him with an answer. Atem glanced at the button that had lit up before to see it dull.

“Oh, thank you,” Atem sighed in relief. “Could you turn it back on while I speak to them again, please?”

The light returned. “Sorry, yes I can hear you Anzu.”

“ _Good. Your brainwaves are showing really positive results_ ,” Anzu said. “ _I’m looking at them with Kaiba and we’re both admittedly confused. It is generally not this easy to link with a mech_.”

“Well, I might have an explanation for that, but it’ll have to come later. It’s a bit of a story.”

“ _Consider yourself lucky you didn’t have to have holes drilled into your nerves, then_ ,” Kaiba drawled.

 _Holes?_ Atem frowned. _What is he talking about?_

Anzu cut in before either could speak again. “ _Okay, since this isn’t protocol, we don’t have anything made for you to substitute for the visor. So you’ll have to keep it on to maintain contact, sorry_.”

 _You no longer need that piece of technology,_ Osiris muttered. _Our connection is in our minds now. So long as I can feel you, I can hear you._

“Really? They seem sure I need it, and I kind of don’t know anything about mech linking Osiris, so…”

_You will be fine, but if it brings you comfort, you may keep it on._

“Actually, it blurs my vision a bit, so it’d be nice to not wear it anymore.” Atem smiled. He grabbed the dials on both sides of his head, turning them slowly down. He then switched the visor off, slipping it into a small compartment beneath the dashboard. “I’m ready, Anzu.”

“ _Did you just take the visor off!? And who is Osiris!?_ ” she asked. _Oh, the mic was still on,_ Atem cringed.

“Oh, Osiris is the mech. That’s his name. He said I don’t need the visor because of the… long winded reason. Trust me, it’s okay.”

“ _Whatever_ , _your loss if it fucks with you for ignoring the professionals,”_ Kaiba growled. “ _What do you mean you’re ready? That was only the first stage, we still have-”_

“No, look, it’s okay,” Atem cut in. “We don’t have time for this, so I’ll explain later, but I have full control over the mech and it’s not going haywire, I promise.” _Osiris doesn’t sound like he’s about to go ruthless like Gandora… I hope._

 _Who is Gandora?_ Osiris asked.

“My partner’s mech. It’s… it’s very different to everyone else’s. It’s powerful, and volatile. I think it hurt Yugi somehow. He wasn’t controlling it when we saw it. It was like… Gandora was keeping him prisoner somehow.” _But how could it run without the controls being handled?_

Atem knew the answer immediately. _Osiris had turned on that switch without me doing anything,_ he felt a cold, dark realisation sink into his stomach. _And it was only because I was here, linked to him. If a mech only needed its human to be near to activate…_

“Oh Yugi, I’m so sorry,” Atem muttered, drawing a hand down his face.

 _Do not fear, Atem,_ Osiris rumbled. _We will best this beast and return your love to you._

“We had better hurry, there’s no telling where or what Gandora is doing,” Atem shuffled upright in his seat, gripping the twin thruster handles. “Will you be able to guide me through your controls while we fly?”

_Yes._

“Good. Anzu, I’m ready to go. How do we get Osiris out?”

“ _You can’t go out there alone, Sennen_ ,” Kaiba snorted, and Atem heard him slam a hand on something. “ _We don’t know how capable this mech is_.”

“Seto, just let him go,” Anzu argued. “ _Neither you nor Jou can pilot your mechs right now. Atem is all we have, and if Otogi’s reports are anything to go by, this mech is more than enough to handle Gandora_.”

“For all its power, Gandora is still an older model,” Atem added. “And Osiris has a stronger hull. We can take him.”

“ _I doubt your snake dragon has a better defence than Yugi’s walking armoury, but I suppose we don’t really have a choice. Fine, if you’re that determined, then I won’t stop you. Let’s undock this monster, Anzu_.”

“ _Right away_!” Anzu’s boots smacked against the metal floor, getting softer until Atem couldn’t hear them through the feed anymore.

“ _Don’t screw this up, Sennen_ ,” Kaiba said before the intercom switched off.

Immediately he heard the grating sound of gears, and loud snapping as vices released their grip on Osiris. The mech jittered as its links moved up and down, readjusting to the new position. They didn’t have much time to do so, however, as Osiris was soon completely void of his supports, standing on his own legs for what Atem assumed to be the first time ever.

“Does that feel good?” he asked.

 _It does,_ Osiris gave a light growl, sounding immensely pleased.

The gate out of the hanger bay suddenly started screeching open, and the vacuum of space yawned wider and wider for them.

Atem was itching to get out, and he could tell Osiris felt the same. He was tapping his feet by the time the doors fully opened, and the lights turned green, indicating he was free to leave.

“ _Let’s go!_ ” Atem slammed the handles forward, and Osiris surged out of the hanger bay with a vibrating roar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally all the players are on the field! It only took you twelve chapters to properly rock up Slif, damn ahaha. I went with the name Osiris in this fic since it seemed to fit him better given his ancient creation, whereas the others are named from modern people (Yugi named Gandora, Kaiba named Blue-Eyes, and Jou named Red-Eyes which was 100% to annoy Kaiba with the similar naming lmao). If Atem had met and named it in the current fic time, he'd have called it Slifer instead!  
> I had so much fun writing Slif and Gandora in this fic, and it gets even better now that they're both here and Atem has his link :D  
> Hope you're ready for some Slif action B)


	13. Chapter 13

Osiris flew through space like nothing Atem had felt before. He surged forward on powerful thrusters, far stronger than Atem’s tiny little ship’s.

Osiris’ wing span was massive, and seemed larger than any of the other dragons’ he had seen. The Blue-Eyes was longer than the rest of the other mechs, but Osiris eclipsed her in terms of height. He didn’t have to wonder why Osiris was forced to the ground in the hanger bay, when there was nowhere on the ship tall enough to sit his body longways. Atem even thought Osiris could rival the flagship in terms of length.

“You’re so long, how do you keep track of all your joints?” Atem asked curiously.

_They have assigned numbers and corresponding wire linings. Much like your nerves._

“And you just memorise them all? You must have over fifty plated joints!”

 _I_ am _a machine, Atem._

Atem laughed. “Right, of course. Sorry, I’m just- my previous ship, the magician, it never spoke, since it was an old model and, you know, not a mech, ha...”

_I am sorry for the loss of it. I saw in your mind the damage it sustained defending the others. I doubt it will fly the same, even if it was fixed._

“I don’t think the government will bother funding the fix, now that I’m linked with you. I assume, if you were meant for me, then they were planning on getting rid of my ship anyway.”

_I am sorry._

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault. And they’re right, really. I have trouble keeping up with the Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes a lot in my tiny ship. This way, I’m more reliable to the team, and I can fight better.”

Osiris made a humming sound, his head changing trajectory slightly, causing his mass of plated scales to chase after their new direction. Travel felt lighter with Osiris, like the dragon could manoeuvre with anything and it would take them seconds. Atem wondered if this was how Kaiba and Jou felt, and even maybe Yugi, before the…

Atem shook his head. He needed to concentrate now. “How will we find Gandora?” he asked.

 _He is still linked to the systems on the flagship,_ Osiris said. _Through access to the data base Seto Kaiba granted me upon going online, I can track his movements._

“So you know where you’re going?”

_I do. We are tracking Gandora now and approaching his position._

“Good. Thank you. I can’t imagine doing this on my own, with the Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes out of commission.”

 _It is good to be of service, and allowed to stretch my joints, finally_ , Osiris hummed, a happy note in his tone.

A sudden growl vibrated through the cockpit, and Atem turned his gaze upward. “Osiris?”

 _That was not me,_ Osiris answered, tone guarded. _It came from our surroundings, through the radio._

“What…?” Atem looked out the cockpit windows one at a time, as if he would see something there. He missed the one, long panel of glass his old ship had, but Osiris’ advance detection holographic maps made visualising much easier.

“He’s closer than we thought,” Atem muttered. Gandora’s blip on the map had changed trajectory, and was now moving towards them.

“Wait a minute…” Atem peered closer at the screen. Was he imagining it, or was there another flicker on the screen in front of Gandora’s?

 _We have company,_ Osiris said.

Another screen flashed up over the windows in front of him, giving Atem a visual.

It looked like a camera view facing out from Osiris’ side somewhere. On it he could see the muddled shape of two creature-like shadows in the distance. They grew bigger as Osiris approached, and Atem could make out their forms.

He could see the dark plates of Gandora, littered with the crimson gems. Diabound was locked into combat with him, arms shaking against Gandora’s. They were spinning slowly, tails thrashing angrily and jaws gritted together.

“He’s fighting Bakura?” Atem directed his question towards Osiris.

 _So it would seem,_ Osiris muttered. _Why I do not know. Perhaps he is just looking to fight._

“Then he can fight us, if he must. But we can’t let him kill Bakura.”

_Why not? Is he not our enemy?_

“It’s not right,” Atem said. “We’ve never aimed to kill Bakura, just to bring him to justice.”

 _As you wish,_ Osiris rumbled. He proceeded forward, charging into the fighting mechs.

Osiris bashed his head into Gandora’s side, claws reaching out to break the contact with Diabound.

Diabound took the chance to swerve away to a safe distance, while Gandora roared at them through the com line. Atem winced, feeling the tone grow louder than before.

He switched on communication with Diabound, shouting at him.

“Run now, Bakura! This isn’t your fight!” Atem said. He heard Bakura mutter something inaudible through the line. Diabound floated there for a moment, his tail swinging below.

“ _This means nothing, Sennen_ ,” Bakura growled, and Diabound began to turn around. “ _I’ll be back, and you better be prepared for a_ real _fight._ ”

Diabound shot away, leaving Atem and Osiris alone with Gandora. _Some thanks,_ Atem scoffed.

Gandora roared, wings tilting upwards. He looked like he was about to take off after Bakura. _We can’t let him,_ Atem gritted his teeth, nudging Osiris forward with the controls.

“Stop, Gandora! What are you doing?” Atem shouted through his microphone.

Gandora paused, head turning towards him.

 _“Do not presume to command me, little human,”_ a deep voice said. “ _You have interrupted my fight, and now shall continue in his place.”_ It was deeper than Osiris’, and underlined with rage.

“Gandora…?” Atem frowned, peering out the side window where the black dragon was hovering.

Those yellow eyes gazed back at him, so uncanny in their realism Atem couldn’t help but think Gandora was watching him with them.

 _We use sensors to see everything,_ Osiris supplied. _But this is hardly a time for a mechanic lesson. This dragon is looking for a fight. Words will not work here, Atem._

“I didn’t want to fight him, but I suppose we must,” Atem sighed.

 _What should we do? I could blast a hole in his side,_ Osiris growled, and Atem got the distinct impression the dragon would curl his lips back if he could.

“We need to get to Yugi. If he wakes up and takes control of the cockpit, Gandora shouldn’t be able to move like that anymore.” _I hope,_ he bit back from saying. He remembered talk of Gandora’s rampage years before, and he was worried Gandora would be able to ignore Yugi’s commands, even through the dashboard.

 _I cannot get close to him,_ Osiris said, growling. _Find a way to take me in and I can bind his limbs with my length. I see no other way to immobilise him._

“I just need long enough to reach Yugi and get him out. Can you manage?”

_I will try, Atem._

“I’ll get us in close, try not to flinch when he strikes. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

_I trust you, partner._

Atem gave a curt nod, hands slipping into the grips of the handles. They were bulkier than the ones on his ship, and several buttons were built into the tops. They reminded him of a car’s gearbox stick more than the flat runs he was used to. Of course, he was an expert driver as well, and although they were a new change, he could feel the weight behind them instantly, know exactly where to steer Osiris when he needed to take control. 

He tipped the handles downwards, and Osiris surged muzzle first in a dive. Gandora pulled back, watching them carefully. His claws flexed, and Atem slammed the controls sideways, Osiris’ form jerking to obey the commands.

“Use your tail!” Atem yelled.

Osiris grunted, swerving his body around and away from Gandora, giving his links time to catch up with his front half.

Osiris’ tail lashed out to collide with Gandora’s chest on the way past, sending the other dragon spiralling backwards. Gandora tried to lash out in frustration, but Osiris was too quick, his agile body sliding away from Gandora’s.

The rows of metal were far easier to move around than the heavy, bulky bodies of all the other mechs Atem had seen. _It’s almost like Osiris was built to fight other mechs._ Atem wondered if it was true. The government had been working on him after Bakura showed up, so it was a possibility.

But then, Osiris had had this shape in his flashes of memory, so maybe this was just how Osiris was built to fight.

“The next time he comes at you, try using your thrusters.” Atem suggested.

_My wings? Why?_

“It might throw him off balance. So far you’ve both been using your claws and tails, simple stuff. If we stay in close to him, we can avoid getting shot by the lasers. I don’t think he’d risk damage to himself by using them in close range combat.”

_He might._

“Then we just have to risk it,” Atem sucked in his breath, thumbs smoothing over the handle tops. “Will you let me do it with you, with the controls?”

_Of course._

Atem smiled, brushing a hand appreciatively over the dashboard. He returned it to its handle, gripping them both tightly.

Gandora was moving to strike again, his tail lashing through empty space while his body tensed up, drawing smaller.

Atem forced himself to stay calm, staying perfectly still safe the rise and fall of his chest. He felt Osiris mimicking his pose, floating harmlessly.

Gandora surged towards them, claws twitching in anticipation to rake down Osiris’ side.

He never got the chance.

“Now!” Atem called, pulling back on the handles. They sped down the runs towards Atem, and Osiris sprang into action in response.

He twirled his upper body backwards, giant wings snapped their joints around in reverse. It left Osris’ belly plates exposed to Gandora, but before the black dragon could strike, Atem flicked a row of switches above him into full blast.

All of the vents along the bottom of Osiris’ wings roared, flames licking out the tips and pouring out. The fire shot right into Gandora’s face, who screeched in agony. He quickly backpedalled, using his own thrusters to leap away.

His head came up to glare straight at Atem. “ _Foolish human. You will not win this, not even with your god’s power,”_ he snapped.

“Release Yugi and we won’t have to fight,” Atem countered. “Is it really worth ruining his life like this? Don’t you care about him as your pilot?”

 _“He abandoned me first_ ,” Gandora growled. “ _Do not attempt to pin this on me with your frail human emotions.”_

“I’m just trying to understand you, Gandora. I want to know why you’re doing this! Yugi means the world to me, and it pains me so, so much to see him like this because of my mistakes!”

Gandora paused, head drifting slowly to the side. The eye sockets seemed to regard him carefully while his talons scraped against each other.

 _Now would be a good time to strike,_ Osiris commented.

“Not yet,” Atem replied. “I want to see if I can get through to him.”

_Sadly I doubt that will-_

Suddenly one of the gems on Gandora’s shoulder glowed brightly, and a beam of light ripped out of it to crash into Osiris’ side.

Osiris roared, body spasming as thick coils wound around themselves behind them. 

“Osiris!” Atem patted the dashboard, frowning at his roof. “Are you all right? I’m sorry!”

 _I am fine, minor damage to my chest region,_ Osiris reported. _I can still fight._

“ _I am not here to negotiate, little human_ ,” Gandora seethed. “ _I am a dragon of destruction, and I will_ destroy.”

“But do you want to? Or are you just doing that because you’re angry at everyone and feel like you must?”

“ _Enough!”_ Gandora roared, wings snapping fully open. “ _Fight, god dragon!”_

 _We must fight, he is correct_ , Osiris muttered.

“Then we’ll stick with the original plan,” Atem sighed, grasping the handles again, and directing Osiris upwards. “If he won’t listen to reason, then we’ll just have to take away his power, force him to listen.”

_Your efforts are admirable, Atem, but not everyone wishes to take the side of the righteous._

“No, but everyone deserves the chance to.”

Atem flicked the control sticks left, and Osiris banked around Gandora.

Gandora set his sights on a new piece of Osiris’ body to hack at, but Atem pulled away from that as well.

Slowly they circled around the black dragon, jerking away from Gandora’s strikes until they had rounded him twice.

It was then Gandora seemed to notice their position, and that he was surrounded. He growled at them, several of the gems littering his body beginning to glow.

“Now, Osiris!” Atem barked.

Osiris’ coils tensed, then slammed inwards. Piles of crimson metal crushed into the darkness of Gandora’s, throwing the bulky dragon off balance.

More and more rings snaked around Gandora’s body as the seconds rolled by, immobilising his limbs by his sides. If it wasn’t for Gandora’s pulsing orbs along his body, Atem might not have been able to spot him among the sea of red.

Osiris’ links screeched from the effort of grating against metal, and yet he tightened them further, until Gandora could only barely move his head, teeth gritted together in what Atem assumed to be rage.

 _I cannot maintain this for long,_ Osiris muttered, and Atem heard the strain in his tone. _You must hurry._

“How can I reach Yugi? He’s all the way down there.”

Osiris hummed, and his head began to lower. With his links wound so tightly in place, he couldn’t move much, but was able to bring the cockpit closer to Gandora’s chest.

Some distance lay between them, enough that Atem would be able to cross it himself via a suit. He could see Yugi’s unmoving form among the nest of wires inside, his golden bangs standing out like a beacon while the rest of his body melded in to the shadows.

“I’m going out, where is your hatch release button?” Atem asked, fiddling at his seatbelt. It unclasped and he launched out of his chair, pivoting around to the back compartment.

It opened to reveal a space suit inside, with a tank of oxygen strapped tightly to the back. He began wriggling into it while Osiris murmured at him.

 _It is on the left side, a lever under a plastic casing,_ he supplied.

“Okay, good. Do you happen to know if humans have space to move inside the other parts of mechs?”

 _There is a chamber inside mine for maintenance that runs down the centre, along the metal spine,_ Osiris answered. _But you are asking if your lover will be able to reach the cockpit without a suit, are you not?_

“Yes. When I get Yugi out of whatever state Gandora put him in, I need a way to get him to the cockpit. It won’t open right now, or I’d just go grab his suit from the back.”

 _If Gandora stops resisting, I can drag him back to the flagship,_ Osiris suggested.

“If, being the key word there,” Atem sighed. “But we’ll have to try our best, I guess. I really don’t want to leave Yugi in there if I can help it.”

_I can fly without you at the controls. If you find a way to calm Gandora, I can return to the base with you both in the gem._

“That works,” Atem grunted, zipping the last of the padding up over his jumpsuit and stuffing the helmet on. He took one look at the temperature outside and promptly looked away. He really hoped this went as planned, or his death would not be a pleasant or easy experience.

When the suit had finished stabilising for the conditions outside Osiris’ cockpit, he moved back to the pilot’s seat, leaning over the dashboard to hook in his cable. “Okay, we have one chance at this. Keep him steady, and I’ll do the rest.”

_Fly well, Atem._

_I’ll try,_ Atem bit his lip. He lifted the plastic covering over the release lever, and then pulled it up and down the opposite way to its original resting point.

Hydraulics hissed, and the click of gears turning rumbled under Atem’s feet. The hatch slowly began to open, the deathly chill of space invading the warmth of the cockpit immediately. Atem triple checked all his suit functions were working, breathing slowly into the helmet.

He kicked off the chair while the hatch was still lifting, turning sideways to sneak through the gap before righting himself.

Atem floated between the two mechs, every second passing by feeling like an eternity on its own.

All of Osiris’ communications were switched off, leaving him in the dark. He could still feel the gentle presence in his mind, but Osiris’ attention was on Gandora. There were no robotic dragon calls, no scraps of metal, just an eerie silence.

It left Atem alone, drifting between the two huge mechs. The closer he was to Gandora, the tenser he felt. He watched the eye sockets carefully, until Gandora’s head disappeared behind a ring of Osiris’ plates. He was glad he couldn’t hear Gandora’s voice out here. No doubt he was being violently yelled at.

He floated in front of the gem, feeling a sudden new energy flow over him. A faint, red glow glimmered around him, pulsing softly. He marvelled at it, moving a hand through space and watching it follow him in a slightly delayed manner.

The gem also exhibited the same red light, throbbing alongside Atem’s. He reached out to press a hand against it, feeling the cold surface under his palm.

 _How do I make it through? This has to mean something. Gandora wouldn’t help me enter, so it’s either something from Osiris, or… Yugi._ He pressed down on the material with both hands. The surface began to waver, and he flinched, his hand suddenly loosing resistance against it.

He sunk into the gem, passing through the surface like it was some kind of slime. It was slow, and Atem hand to crawl through with his hands as his body began to drift upwards outside Gandora.

When he was fully through, the last tip of his shoe inside, gravity suddenly existed and he crashed back first into the wires.

 _Shit that hurt,_ he grunted, fumbling around for something to turn him upright in the bulky space suit. His hands tried to grip at the mountain of cables, but there were hardly any points the suit would wrap around.

He settled for rolling around the base of the gem until he was on his hands and knees, and then stood up.

The inside was more spacious than Atem had realised; the gem itself was huge, stretching over Gandora’s whole chest, enough for several people to stand in before things would become squashed.

He felt it might be even bigger, if it wasn’t for half the space being dominated by the thick mass of wires. They were sprawled over every surface, some with jack ports plugged into bits of metal while others just disappeared in among the rest.

But most of them were spiralled around the back plate, where Yugi was hanging.

“Yugi!” Atem called, then swore. His voice was muffled by the thick helmet covering his head. “Yugi can you hear me? Answer, please!”

Nothing moved. Everything was silent. Atem couldn’t even hear Yugi’s breathing.

He walked towards the wires, using the sloping shape from the sheer mass of wires as a ramp. He crawled the rest of the way up, shoving his hands wherever he could fit them, even for a second.

He stopped when he was over Yugi, looking for any signs of movement. The wires were too thick around his chest and legs for Atem to even see anything, let alone a rise and fall of breath. There was only his face, and even then something covered his mouth and nose, and Atem hoped it was feeding him oxygen.

He let his forehead drift down to touch Yugi’s, hands shakily cupping the sides of his face. They touched more wire than skin, and he choked back a sob.

“Yugi… please, you have to open your mind,” he whispered, closing his eyes.

He felt the faint pulse of something else. It wasn’t gentle like Osiris, and it wasn’t aggressive like Gandora. It was…

“Human,” Atem gasped, hearing what sounded like a heartbeat in his head. _Yugi_.

He concentrated on that beat, projecting his mind and thoughts towards it. He imagined growing closer to it as it grew stronger, and he clutched Yugi tighter. There was a glowing sphere of energy in his mind, slowly turning around. It was quieter than Osiris’ presence, and weaker. It felt like it was fading.

 _I’m not going to lose you,_ Atem vowed. He pressed his mind against the energy source-

His vision exploded into a blank whiteness, and he felt the weight of his body disappear, his mind hurtling through what felt like air until-

He stood in a sea of flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Osiris and Gandora so much ahaha. It's so much fun giving them their own personalities~


	14. Chapter 14

There was a sky over his head. It was the second thing he saw, after the flowers. A breeze curled around his limbs, tugging on his jumpsuit and playing with his hair. He wondered why he wasn’t wearing the space suit, and why he was still alive if he wasn’t.

 _But there’s a sky,_ Atem gazed up at the swirling tinges of pink and orange. The sunset dyed the landscape in brilliant shades of light, the last dying rays spreading like fingers over his skin, casting his face in prickles of warmth.

It was a beautiful time of the day, one he had never tired of in his youth. He wondered what the sunset was like on his home planet. He had no memories of experiencing it, but he was sure it would be stunning. He remembered Yugi mentioning that Yet-aghy was covered in deserts. Perhaps it was even better than what he had seen before.

 _But we’re not on either planet,_ Atem thought. _I’ve never seen this field before. I don’t know where we are._

It was then he realised he was saying _we_ , and not _I_.

“Yugi!” Atem whipped his head around, searching for his lover. _We linked minds, we must have. I remember a bright light, right before…_

Was he unconscious? Where was Yugi? _I felt his presence, he must be here._ Atem began frantically searching, all too conscious of how much was riding on finding him.

The pant sections of his jumpsuit quickly became covered in pollen as he smashed through the flowers. He had been standing on top of a hill, which had provided the perfect view of the stunning landscape. He headed down the slope, wading through stems that grew waist high in parts.

He lurched to a stop half way down, eyes widening.

There was no mistaking the back of Yugi’s wild, untameable hair, and the set of his shoulders. Atem had memorised them well, after all.

“Yugi!” he screamed, tearing the rest of the way down the slope.

Yugi was standing on an outcrop of the hill, a section of grass that poked out of the waterfall of flowers.

Atem crashed into the ledge, hurling himself and his arms around Yugi. “Thank god you’re safe, Yugi. I was so worried about you,” he whispered, nuzzling his face into Yugi’s neck.

He froze, cold metal touching his face.

He pulled back, eyes widening at the thick wire attached to Yugi’s neck. It seemed to go into Yugi’s neck, at a point in the nape.

Right where Yugi usually had his choker.

Atem quickly peered around Yugi’s shoulders to check his arms. He felt his stomach drop.

Yugi’s arms and legs were bound in wires, growing up between the roots of the grass. The dull grey and black of the metal was a stark contrast to the lush nature surrounding it. Atem looked closer, noticing how the ends of the wires disappeared around Yugi’s wrists, fully encasing his arms.

“Yugi…?” Atem stepped back, fully taking Yugi in. His mind became alert immediately. Something wasn’t right.

“Hmm?” Yugi finally turned around, his eyes widening. “ _Atem_? What are you doing here?”

“Saving you,” Atem frowned.

“From what?” Yugi mirrored his expression, and Atem felt his spirits sink. It was not a face he had expected to see.

“From your evil dragon mech trying to kill us.”

“Gandora? No, we had a deal,” Yugi said. “He’s not allowed to harm you so long as I stay here.”

 _He’s already broken that deal, sad to say,_ Atem thought. “And where is here?”

“This is my mind,” Yugi explained. “Everything you see here is constructed from memories and feelings. I’m supposed to be staying calm and quiet, so Gandora can do whatever it is he’s doing.”

“And you agreed to all this? Just like that?”

“I did it to save you.”

“I-” Atem bowed his head, letting his hands fall off Yugi’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“It’s fine,” Yugi replied nonchalantly. “It’s all fine now.”

“But it’s not, Bakura is still out there and we’re all worried about you stuck in Gandora.”

Yugi shrugged.

“There’s something wrong here,” Atem said. “You’re not acting right.”

“What do you mean?” Yugi closed his eyes, the gentle wind ruffling his bangs.

“You would be swearing and kicking your way out of this problem by now. There wouldn’t _be_ a problem because nothing can hold you back, nothing can stop Yugi Mutou,” Atem carefully shifted around Yugi’s rooted feet, grasping his shoulders and staring straight into his eyes.

“I am at peace,” Yugi shrugged. “And you’re safe, aren’t you? That’s all that matters.”

“We’re not together, though. You said we would be together on everything. You’re _not_ at peace, I know it. You’re restless and worried all the time. There’s no way the _real_ Yugi would brush all his troubles off so easily.”

Yugi’s brows furrowed at that, and his arms twitched, like he wanted to raise them but couldn’t from the binds. “I _am_ the real Yugi. But I don’t think _you’re_ the real Atem.”

The grass around Atem’s feet suddenly sprouted to double its size, blades circling his body until they wrapped tight around his entire form. His arms were trapped at his sides, and he had the brief image of Gandora’s body immobilised by Osiris’ flash through his mind.

He was just as helpless as Yugi’s dragon, now.

“Yugi please,” Atem said softly, struggling lightly despite how he could barely move.

“What are you really doing here?” Yugi said, seemingly ignoring his pleas. “I’ve already tried to erase you from this scene and you’re still here. How?”

“Because I’m not a figment of your imagination, Yugi. I’m real. I’m inside Gandora’s gem right now, touching your forehead and linking to your mind. Please, you have to believe me.”

“Why should I?”

“Because…” Atem lowered his head, letting his body fall limp. “I love you. And it’s killing me to see you this way.”

Yugi hesitated, his brows furrowing. “You should be back at the flagship, not out fighting my dragon.”

“But Gandora is the one who hurt _me_ ,” Atem said. Yugi tilted his head thoughtfully.

“No, that can’t be right. We had… a deal.” Yugi’s face scrunched up in concentration, and he looked down to some spot on the ledge below them.

“Why don’t you ask Gandora about it, then?”

“I can’t hear him in my mind,” Yugi said slowly, turning back to Atem. Something flickered in the violet depths, and Yugi sighed. “He’s not here.”

“I can’t hear Osiris either.” And it was true, now that Atem was focusing in his thoughts. He couldn’t feel Osiris’ murmurs and brushing emotions.

“Who is Osiris?” Yugi asked.

“The red dragon mech you brought back onto the ship.”

Yugi’s eyes widened, and he moved to step back, only succeeding in jerking his body slightly with the wires around his feet. “How do you know about that?”

“Anzu and Kaiba showed it to me after we all dragged our ships back from the fight with Bakura. Anzu said it was for me, and when I tried to link with it for the first time, I found out that it- he, sorry- actually knew me from my past. My _memories_ , Yugi. I got flashes of them. I was standing in a tall, ancient building, touching Osiris’ fresh and new snout. He was made for me, it’s… incredible.”

“He _was_ made for you,” Yugi said, looking guarded. “Because the government needed another mecha, and they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Do you agree?”

“No.”

“I- you don’t? You didn’t want me to have a mech?”

Yugi looked away, biting his lip. “It was too dangerous, and I…”

“You didn’t want what happened to you to happen to me,” Atem guessed. Yugi nodded.

The grass blades slowly unwound from him, sliding back down into the earth. “I believe you, Atem,” Yugi said, giving him a sad smile. “But I can’t do anything about it. Not while I’m here.”

“Why not? It’s your mind, isn’t it?” Atem stepped forward, raising a hand slowly. When Yugi showed no signs of resistance, he brought it up to cup Yugi’s cheek.

“Yes, but I’m also trapped in it,” Yugi leaned into the touch. “Gandora locked me in the moment we synced.”

“That seems incredibly unfair. You know he’s taking advantage of you, right? And the fact you can’t see what’s happening out there?”

“I suppose he is,” Yugi pulled away suddenly, pinning Atem with a guilty look. “Atem, I’m sorry for everything. I know I should have told you sooner, explained better why this all… was so overwhelming. I’m sorry. I wasn’t giving you the unconditional love and attention you were giving me.”

“Hey, no no, none of that.” Atem scooped both of Yugi’s cheeks into his hands, pressing their foreheads together much like he had in the outside world. “Your love has been a beacon to me that has never faltered. I don’t expect you to have to feel like you need to tell me everything about your past. _Especially_ your past. I know it haunts you, and what happened with Gandora was so stressful you’ve never been able to shake it off to this day.”

“Seto told you, didn’t he?” Yugi sighed. “That’s all right, I wouldn’t expect him to withhold information with events like this happening.”

“It’s not your fault you lost control,” Atem murmured, arms slipping around Yugi’s neck to hold him instead. “It’ll be okay. We’ll be all right. Together.”

“I never stopped hearing Gandora’s echoes in my mind,” Yugi admitted with a shiver. “Even when I was away from the ship, and he was offline. He was still… _there_. Mocking me for giving up so easily.”

“I have some words to say to that dragon, don’t you worry.”

“Words? Wait, are you implying… can you actually hear Gandora as well?” Yugi’s eyes widened.

“Yes. Renewing my connection with Osiris somehow made me able to hear mech voices in my mind.”

“Renewing?”

“It’s a long story, can it wait until we’re back at base? I’m not sure I have enough oxygen to last that long,” Atem offered a smile, and Yugi nodded.

“I’m not sure how to leave, though… Or how to break these,” Yugi shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

Atem gave a hum, eyes flickering over Yugi’s bonds. “You’re like this because Gandora didn’t want you doing anything that might break you out, right?”

“I’d assume so.”

“But he’s already broken your deal, so there’s no reason for you to be compliant, right?”

“Yes I suppose you’re right.”

“So break out of them. It’s your mind, you should be able to command them, like you did with the grass.”

Yugi nodded, his face scrunching up into a glare. He levelled it at a spot between them, where grass merged into mechanics.

He suddenly snapped his head up, a look of rage twisting his face. “ _Gandora_!” he barked. “ _Release_ me! I know what you did and I am _very_ upset with you!”

For a moment, nothing happened. Yugi’s chest heaved with the effort of his screaming, but he kept his head pointed to the sky.

Suddenly the clouds began to whither, and the ground rumbled dangerously underneath them.

“Yugi-” Atem made to lunge forward, but his balance faltered, and he tipped backwards.

He felt the wind at his back, one of his feet hovering while the other slowly lifted from the grassy ledge.

And then Yugi was there, a strong hand gripping one of his and thrusting him forward. Atem stumbled onto the ground beside Yugi, giving his heart a moment to calm its thumping in his chest.

“You all right?” Yugi asked. Atem nodded vigorously, drawing himself up and giving Yugi a smile.

Yugi nodded back, one hand gently rubbing the other’s wrist. There was a small dot over the wrist Atem could see from his angle, and he realised it was a hole, lined with a tiny ring of metal.

 _“I should have known you’d be trouble, little pilot,”_ Gandora’s rumbly voice interrupted him before he could speak.

Yugi’s head turned upwards immediately, like he thought Gandora was watching them from above. “You have no right to be angry! _You_ broke the conditions, not me!”

“He was talking to me,” Atem frowned, watching Yugi’s reaction. “Didn’t you hear him?”

Yugi gave him a wide-eyed look. “You can hear _words_ from him?”

“Can’t you?”

“I get splashes of colours and emotions. Sometimes it’s easy to tell what they mean, and other times I guess what he means. He always sends pricks of pain if I get it wrong, so…”

“How weird… I wonder if this has something to do with my link to Osiris?” Atem muttered. He raised his voice next. “Gandora! Let Yugi go, and we can all talk about this back at the base!”

 _“Do you take me for the fool? I will not return to my prison so easily, human,”_ Gandora sneered.

“Maybe I should translate, to make this easier?” Atem suggested. At Yugi’s curt nod, he repeated Gandora’s words.

“It’s not a prison,” Yugi muttered.

 _“You have no right to say so, pilot,”_ Gandora growled.

“But still, we need a way for all of us to communicate _safely_ ,” Atem stressed. “All three of us need to come to an agreement on matters.”

 _“I don’t see why we should have to_ ,” Gandora grumbled.

“I don’t think you have a say in that, Gandora,” Yugi said quietly after Atem had translated. “You broke a promise to me, and I know I have wronged you in the past, but we both need to sort this all out. It hurts us both to do this.”

 _“Speak for yourself, human,”_ Gandora seethed. _“You pushed me away first. How was I supposed to react to your aggression? You took advantage of our link!_ ”

“You tried to kill everyone!” Yugi barked. “Multiple times!”

“Yugi,” Atem murmured, putting a hand on his shoulders. Yugi turned to him, glare fading.

“Sorry,” he said quietly. “I… didn’t mean to lose my temper.”

“It’s all right. But, I think we should sort this out in a safer environment. I’m worried about floating in space right now…”

Yugi nodded. “Okay. Well, I’ll agree to be civil until we return, but I might need to punch something after that.”

 _“Fine, I will agree to this as well. For now,”_ Gandora rumbled.

“That’s as good as we’ll get from him,” Yugi said.

“Then I guess we’ll have to take it,” Atem sighed. “Can you get out of here now?”

Yugi tilted his head, watching the sky. “Yes. I think Gandora lifted the shield he had over me.”

“Good. Now… I’m not sure how to leave myself,” Atem admitted, offering Yugi a grin. Yugi scoffed, giving him a smile.

“Think about how you are right now inside the gem, and try to link back with your mech. He’ll drag you back out.”

Atem nodded, about to close his eyes to do so. Yugi pulled him in for a soft kiss on the lips, and Atem felt like his heart would explode from happiness at that moment.

“See you back in the real world?” Yugi asked.

“Of course. I’ll be waiting,” Atem closed his eyes, letting his mind drift away from Yugi’s. He felt Yugi push him away, guiding Atem out of his mind.

Atem’s thoughts focused on his surroundings in the real world, the wires in Gandora’s gem and the eerie silence of everything. He thought he felt the tug of Osiris’ presence gently picking his up, dragging it away from the field of flowers-

-and Atem was waking up to Yugi’s brilliant purple eyes blinking in front of him.

“Atem?” Yugi’s voice was shaky, and his eyelids drooped. The sound was distorted through the mask on his face, but Atem could tell he sounded tired.

The wires tensed around them, before then giving way, slinking away from Yugi’s body further into Gandora’s body.

They slowly lowered the two of them, until Atem felt his shoes touch the base of the gem.

Yugi suddenly collapsed onto him, and Atem threw his arms around his chest to keep him upright. He wasn’t strong enough to support both of their weight completely, and fell to his knees, gently cushioning Yugi’s body.

“Yugi?” Atem gently shook him. He stopped, seeing Yugi’s chest expanding. “Thank god…” He clutched him tighter, nuzzling into Yugi’s neck.

He needed to get Yugi back, though, and soon. Gandora’s gem wasn’t fit for human placement, and Atem was worried there could be side effects.

He gazed out of the gem, where one of Osiris’ eyes was tilted to him.

“Take us back, Osiris,” Atem both spoke and thought the words, projecting them towards the red dragon. He saw Osiris move his massive head in a nod, before he began to shift his coils.

His wings snapped wing open, thrusters burning brightly.

They surged forward, returning to the flagship.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting close to the end now wow! Thanks a bunch for all the support too guys I know ive said it before but I RLY APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH ;v;

It felt like the entire ship had come down to see them. People in all kinds of uniforms crowded around the hanger bay, all eyes turned curiously to them as Osiris dragged Gandora into an empty space.

Since there was no designated space for either mech, they had to set down in the centre, where technicians transported parts and vehicles. It didn’t look like anyone was complaining right now though, with the excitement the new mechs were causing. Atem doubted there were more than a handful of people here who had even seen Gandora before, and chances were low anyone had known about Osiris. It was no wonder people wanted to gawk at the incredibly long metal dragon hauling Gandora’s bulky mass in.

When they stopped, Atem readjusted his hold on Yugi, scooping his hands under Yugi’s arms and dragging him up. He slowly shifted backwards, peering out of Gandora’s gem. He could see Anzu and Kaiba standing down below, watching him. Jou was near them, too, evident from his body bouncing around much more actively than the others. _Or anxiously_ , Atem thought.

Gandora offered him a claw to climb down on, which Atem hesitantly took with a glance upwards. He kept his body forward, using the padding in the space suit to cushion Yugi’s body as he waddled out of the gem.

The malleable surface was easy to pass through, and Atem assumed Gandora had influenced that as well. _At least he’s sticking to the conditions._

Anzu and Jou rushed forward as soon as Atem touched down on the flooring, helping him pull Yugi down the rest of the way. Kaiba approached at a slower walk.

“What happened out there?” he said, arms crossed over his chest in a very Kaiba way while he looked down at them all.

It occurred to Atem that they might not have been able to track Osiris and his movements like they could the other mechs. Perhaps Osiris hadn’t been fitted into the system for that yet. _Oops_.

He decided to talk about it later. Now was not the time to deal with Kaiba’s scorn.

“He’s unconscious,” Atem said, glancing between the three of them.

“Well let’s get him up to Ryou then!” Jou moved beside Atem, gently taking Yugi’s legs into his arms and hauling him higher than Atem could manage on his own.

Atem gave him a curt nod, taking a moment to remove his helmet to at least breathe easier, and then they shuffled off towards the elevators.

“Atem!” Anzu called after them. “Wait, what about Gandora?”

“He’ll be fine, just leave both the mechs on standby!” Atem shouted back.

 _“The moment he awakens, I expect you both back here_ ,” Gandora warned, just before the lights in his eyes powered down, and his dark presence lessened.

 _I will keep an eye on him,_ Osiris promised _. Do not worry, though. There is little he, and I, can do without our pilots linked to us._

 _Thank you,_ Atem sent through his mind, hoping Osiris would hear it.

“Come on buddy, let’s get Yugi fixed up.” Jou nudged him, and Atem nodded in reply.

They headed straight for the medical ward, moving slow enough to not jolt Yugi in any way, but still with a sense of urgency. Atem couldn’t walk fast as it was, as he was still in his space suit.

The doors at the end of the corridor opened to reveal Ryou ready and waiting there for them.

“Oh dear, he doesn’t look good. Anzu called me to tell me you were coming. Please, put him in this room. I need to check him over immediately.” Ryou gestured to the side, in one of the rooms Atem had never been in.

Jou started forward and Atem followed, keeping Yugi’s chest and head close to his body.

There was a padded bed inside, surrounded by several machines suspended from the ceiling. They left Yugi spread out on the bed, and Atem gave him a soft kiss to his temple.

“Be strong,” he whispered, following Jou out of the room.

They passed Anzu in the main room, heading towards the room Ryou was in. Atem immediately turned around to join her, but Jou grabbed him by the shoulder, holding him back.

“Just wait man,” he said. “Yugi’ll be fine, but you gotta give them space to work.”

“But-”

“You’re not helping anyone fretting in the corner over every little thing.” Jou gave him a sympathetic look, followed by a pat. “Why don’t you come join me in the bar? I’m going to have a few drinks with Honda to unwind from this mess.”

“I want to be fully aware of myself when Yugi wakes up,” Atem said.

“Suit yourself, but give them room to work, okay?”

“I’ll pace aggressively out here,” Atem promised with a smile.

“I’ll take it!” Jou tossed him a wink, marching out of the medical ward.

Time passed at an increasingly slower rate. Each time Atem glanced up at the clock hanging drearily from the wall, he swore the handles weren’t moving. Maybe they weren’t, and the clock was actually broken. Had he thought about it last time he was here? Had he even noticed it last time?

He didn’t recall anything about the clock, and he thought he would remember seeing something as unsettling as an Ouija board themed clock. Atem had shed the weight of the space suit off so he could pace, mapping a course out between chairs and couches, wringing his hands together when he heard a machine whirl too loudly next door.

He should have taken Jou up on his offer, but then he didn’t like to drink often. Maybe he should have asked him to spar instead. Something to concentrate on and switch his mind off its worry.

The slide of the door reached his ears, and Atem spun around to immediately descend on Anzu.

“Will he be okay? What did Ryou say? Why am I not allowed in?” Atem shot off his rapid fire questions, keeping a thumb to his lips to give himself something to focus on.

“Woah, slow down, Atem,” Anzu gently nudged him away from the doorway, and Atem relented.

“Is he all right?” Atem pressed.

“He’ll be fine, Ryou said he just needs to rest and recover. His body went through a lot of strain, but it looks like it’ll recover just fine. You just need to give him time, Atem.”

 _But do we have that time?_ Atem wondered. He gave Anzu a nod, not wanting her to worry more. He could already tell she wanted to go full best friend mode on him, which Yugi had told him about before. He felt a smile tug at his lips.

“Thank you, Anzu,” he said.

“Just take care of yourself, Atem. We’ll need you and Osiris again. Now I must go, someone has to take over Yugi’s job until he’s better,” Anzu said before walking past him.

Atem turned back to the door leading to Yugi’s room, shifting restlessly on his feet. Anzu was right, he should trust in Yugi to fight through it. And if Yugi needed rest, then him being here wasn’t doing anyone any good.

Osiris gently nudged at his mind. Atem listened closer, hearing faint wisps of his mech’s voice.

_Come down here, Atem._

_I suppose it’s better than pacing around here,_ Atem agreed.

He left the medical ward, heading to the floor’s elevator and taking it down. It only went as far as the regular mech hanger bay, but he didn’t need to travel further down this time.

Osiris and Gandora were both left on standby beside Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes. They weren’t in any ports, nor surrounded by the layers of metal wiring that made up the catwalks around them. Instead, they were right in front of both Kaiba and Jou’s dragons, crowding up the pathways and forcing the repair workers to squeeze around. Atem could tell they were all in foul moods from this already, so he steered clear of them, walking around to sit between the claws of one of Osiris’ feet.

“Osiris?” he tried, wondering if he could hear the voice without first turning the mech on. He felt a hum in the back of his mind, answering his question immediately.

_Yes, Atem?_

“So you can turn on, even when I’m not in the cockpit hitting the switch?”

_So long as our connection is strong, I believe so. My systems are always running underneath my metal plates, even in standby mode. I must be ready to take your commands at all times._

“You’re very polite for a machine,” Atem noted.

Osiris rumbled at him. _I am more than a machine. I have the ancient knowledge of your people in my systems. Some has been lost since my bodily change, but, my core has remained the same, as have I from when I was programmed._

“My people must have been excellent technicians, to craft such incredible AIs so long ago. Were there others?”

_Mmm… The mech we encountered before. It is familiar to me._

“Which one?” _Are there other mechs like Osiris?_ Atem wondered. _Or people like… me?_

_Diabound, my sensors told me it was called._

“Bakura’s mech?” Atem frowned. “He did say something before that I found strange. He kept taunting me about a mecha I used to have. I see now, that he might have meant you. But then how did he know? How could he have seen you before?”

 _In the ancient past, I am sure,_ Osiris rumbled. _My memories were young during that time, but I do remember a fight. It was what caused us both to fall into slumber, although I believe you were taken away from me as my systems were shut down. Then my memories begin in the present, being worked on by scientists and the admiral._

“Yugi was there?” Atem asked, and then immediately found his answer. “Oh, wait, of course he was. He would have overseen your development before taking you onto the ship. I always wondered what he did when he went off alone. Now I know why, I suppose.”

_He did not like me. His body radiated hostility._

“Yugi? No, he’s…” Atem pursed his lips. “Actually… maybe he doesn’t like mechs, after what happened with Gandora.”

_I do not blame the young human for his emotions. He was unimportant to me, as was everyone until I could find my way to you. Our systems are built to only care about our pilots. Nothing else matters._

“I see,” Atem leaned back, crossing his arms. “What about Gandora? And Bakura and Diabound? Do they care about each other as much as we do?”

_Bakura’s is a mech of destruction, much like Gandora here. I do not know of Gandora’s origins, and my attempts to ask him of such led to nothing. But they are both creatures born of darkness. Their cores were not created in light, nor for good purposes. I theorise that destruction is what they excel at, and so it is what they do. I do not know if they care about their pilots, or if they use them as a means to an end._

“How strange… so many questions that could really use answers to,” Atem muttered. He turned to Gandora’s hulking form, the mech standing stoic.

“Hello? Gandora? Would you like to join in? Shed some light?” he asked.

 _He will not answer you,_ Osiris said _. He is asleep. He will not awaken until Yugi returns_.

“But he can hear me, right? Like you said you could?”

_I am not sure. I am only programmed to register your voice at all times, not others. I could not say I could hear your lover if he was talking to me during my time on that planet, so I would assume it could be true, and the same for Gandora._

“I suppose he’s also just waiting for Yugi to wake up,” Atem hummed. “And being smart about it too. Though I guess without Yugi he also can’t pace as much as I can.”

_You should sleep too. It has been a long time since you did so last._

“I should, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to.”

_We have many challenges ahead of us. You will need your wits about you for them._

Atem sighed, dragging a hand down his face before tilting his head back onto red metal. He was tired, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to sleep by himself, alone, after having Yugi’s warmth beside him for so long.

There were nights when Atem _did_ sleep by himself, but they were so few and far between that he forgot about them the moment he wrapped himself in Yugi’s arms.

“Okay, I’ll try.” Atem relented, shuffling onto his feet.

 _Sleep well, Atem,_ Osiris purred after him, and Atem had the sudden urge to pat his dragon. He reached out to tentatively tap on one of the claws beside him, giving the head far above a warm smile.

“You rest up too, Osiris.” He whispered, walking away and out of the hanger bay.

His feet took him to Yugi’s quarters, as they so often did. Atem paused at the door, eyes flickering over the panel in the wall with Yugi’s details in it. He brushed a hand over them before pressing his keycard into the slot, opening the door.

He decided a shower would be the first point of call, digging into the cupboard where he kept half his clothes. He was here most nights, so he left a supply for easy changes.

The shower was warm and soothing to his tense muscles, but it didn’t lull him into a drowsy state. He did feel lighter after it, though, which he took to be a good sign. He sat on the edge of the bed, towel pawing at his hair, and let his gaze fall around the room.

All of Yugi’s rooms felt more expansive than they should be, too much space yawning between every piece of furniture. He supposed it was to show off such a high ranking, but he knew Yugi found so much space to be a pain to clean. And it wasn’t like any guests ever came here, since it was private quarters.

The bedroom especially felt empty, even though Yugi had a fair few framed photographs and memorabilia around. It wasn’t as dull as his own quarters, but without Yugi there to smile at him and laugh, he found nothing jumped out to be energetic to him.

He threw the towel on the ground, shimmying up to the head of the bed. He burrowed under the blankets, turning to the side of the mattress Yugi slept on.

It felt too cold, and too empty. He drew a hand over the sheets, letting out a sigh. His eyes caught on the other pillow, and he dragged it closer, giving it a sniff.

It smelt like Yugi.

Atem clutched the pillow tighter, burying his face into it and breathing in Yugi’s scent. _Please wake up soon, Yugi. There’s so much happening and we’ll fall apart without you._ I’ll _fall apart without you._

He closed his eyes, letting himself drift off into an uneven sleep, alone in Yugi’s bed.


	16. Chapter 16

Everyone seemed to feel the tense atmosphere that had settled over the ship since Atem had returned. At first people had been inquisitive, poking and probing around with excitement. But it had faded away once it became obvious Yugi was currently out of commission.

Now there was an anxious cloud that hung over everyone, and it was so heavy Atem could feel it like humidity in the air. He hoped Yugi’s recovery and return to his post happened soon, or he feared things would grow out of control.

Anzu was taking over Yugi’s usual duties on the bridge, while Kaiba was trying to track down Bakura. Atem didn’t have anything he felt he could contribute, and he wanted to wait to tell Yugi about Osiris’ theory of Diabound and Bakura. It wasn’t worth Kaiba’s scorn and suspicion to admit he might be linked to Bakura. Not until he had reassured Yugi about it.

He got the message from Anzu when he was lying around in his room. She paged him to say Yugi was awake, and it was all Atem needed to hear to throw himself off the bed and out the door.

He soon burst into the medical ward, eyes wide and searching. Ryou was sitting at the table, a piece of bread halfway raised to his mouth. He turned to Atem, then pointed to a door.

Atem walked briskly over to it, throwing it open. He noted it wasn’t the same room they had taken Yugi into before, and indeed it was different inside.

This was a more traditional hospital room, several beds arranged in a row down the long floor. Yugi was sitting up in the one closest to the door. He had been fiddling with his watch until Atem had barged in, prompting him to look up.

A bright smile came over his face. “Did you tear up the entire ship just to get here the moment I woke up?” he chuckled.

“Of course,” Atem said, rushing to Yugi’s side. He leaned in to cup a hand over Yugi’s cheek, kissing the other. “How are you feeling?” he pulled back, sitting on the side of the bed.

“I’m fi-”

“Yugi!” Jou and Honda suddenly burst inside, falling over each other in an effort to get into the room first.

Atem rose, prepared to tackle them out of the way if they fell onto the bed. They managed to sort themselves out, however, and stood by the side opposite Atem.

“How are you feeling?” Honda asked.

“I’m okay,” Yugi shuffled up until he was flush with the bed rest. “Tired, mainly.”

“You really did a number on us! I could be dying of alcohol poisoning from how much I drank from worry!” Jou whined. Honda just rolled his eyes.

“He didn’t drink that much, I was watching him.”

“Sorry for worrying you all,” Yugi offered a small smile. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”

“Well you did!” Jou sniffed, tilting his head upwards.

“Sorry?” Yugi shrugged helplessly, seeking out Atem for help.

“Jou come on, you know he needs rest,” Atem said. Yugi grumbled something about ‘old man treatment’.

“Of course,” Jou nodded, Honda joining in. “Do you need anything? Food? Water? Your pillow fluffed? I can do that.”

“Jou, seriously, you don’t need to mother me,” Yugi rolled his eyes. “I’ll be getting that enough from Atem here. Go back to work, you two. I’ll be _fine_.”

Jou and Honda exchanged glances before both turning to Atem.

“I will, I promise,” Atem smiled.

“Well all right,” Jou relented. “But we’ll be back the moment we think you need us.”

“And don’t hesitate to call! The gang has to stick together!” Honda beat a hand over his chest, and Atem thought he was trying hard not to cry. They both looked on the verge of tears.

Everyone had felt the stress of losing their leader, even for just a moment.

Atem waited until Jou and Honda had left before he spoke next.

“How are you really feeling?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Yugi sighed. “Just a little… worn out.”

“After what happened, I would think you’d sleep for a week.”

“I’d like to, but I just can’t,” Yugi offered a tired smile. “We don’t have time for such luxuries. Did you sleep last night?”

“Yes. Osiris made me go.”

“Your mech?” Yugi tilted his head. “So, can you hear them fluently? They talk like actual humans?”

“They’re advanced AIs. I’m sure they could all talk, but I’ve never tried to speak with Red-Eyes nor Blue-Eyes before. I never heard Gandora’s voice until I linked with Osiris, too.”

“No loss there,” Yugi scoffed, rolling his eyes. “He isn’t pleasant to talk to.”

“I think we should still hear him out,” Atem said. “I feel like you two need to reach a middle point. Have a heart to heart conversation.”

“You’re sweet, Atem. And it’s admirable you’re trying to make everyone happy, but… Gandora and I have a bad history. Things happened, and we hurt each other. I shouldn’t have taken bad advice and tried to press it, and Gandora should have tried to communicate better. You have to understand that we don’t talk to our mechs, and it isn’t normal. I only started to feel Gandora’s presence _after_ the accident. If he could talk, or send emotions, whatever, he should have done so from the start, like your mech seems to have.”

“Osiris and I have it a little different…” Atem started. At Yugi’s quirked eyebrow, he continued. “You remember when I said I found some of my memories?”

“Oh!” Yugi’s eyes widened. “Shit! So much was happening I didn’t even- okay, wow, you have to tell me everything!”

Atem recounted what he had learned through Osiris, giving Yugi a rundown of everything.

“Wow, I can’t believe you finally remembered something! That is… so wonderful,” Yugi smiled, placing a hand over Atem’s arm. “I’m glad you found a piece of yourself while I was gone.”

Atem nodded, returning Yugi’s smile. His eyes trailed down to Yugi’s hand, and he noticed bandages over his wrists. He leaned out to touch the one on his arm, and Yugi flinched.

Atem instinctively went to pull back, but Yugi stopped him.

“No,” he said, his other hand pressing over Atem’s, keeping it there. “I won’t hide it from you anymore.”

“But-”

“It’s all right,” Yugi closed his eyes, letting go of Atem’s wrist. He used his free hand to tug at the bandages on the other arm, finding the latch and unwrapping them.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I really don’t mind,” Atem said.

Yugi gave a small nod, raising his now unbandaged arm. He turned his wrist to show Atem the underside.

There was the tiny hole Atem had seen in Yugi’s mind, buried into Yugi’s wrist.

“It’s on the other too,” Yugi said, indicating his other hand.

“What are they?” Atem asked in a hushed voice.

“They’re ports, for jacks in wires,” Yugi explained. “That’s how we used to connect to our mechs, before the visors were invented, and technicians could link nerves with the AIs more easily. It took years, years we didn’t have, to finish it.”

“And you… put wires in your arms? Directly in?”

“It was to link our nerves to the system. So we could control the mechas better.”

“And your… neck, too?”

Yugi nodded.

“I’m sorry. That sounds… awful.”

“It was, it is. But we agreed to it. We know what we were getting into.”

“’We?’ Kaiba, as well?”

“Yes. We were both the ‘trials’ for mecha use, I guess you could say. By the time Red-Eyes was developed, the formula and controls were improved. We have Gandora to thank for that, I suppose. He gave them the fear they needed to work on a better solution.”

Atem reached forward, gently taking Yugi into his arms. “I’m sorry. But thank you for telling me. It means a lot to know you trust me with this information.”

“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner,” Yugi sighed, and his hands patted over Atem’s back. “I do trust you. I was just… talking about it is so hard, and I was… scared.”

“It’s all right. You’re allowed to be afraid,” Atem pulled back, staring into Yugi’s gaze. “You don’t have to be all powerful all the time.”

Yugi laughed, dabbing a hand at his eyes. “Yeah, yeah you’re right. Sorry. I’ll try and remember that from now on.”

“Good. I expect some shoulder leaning in the near future. I’m here for you, Yugi. We all are.”

“Thank you, Atem. I’ll try my best,” Yugi said.

Atem brought the bare wrist to his face, kissing softly over the metal port. “I always tell you you’re beautiful. This doesn’t change anything.”

“All right you big softie, stop, you’re going to make me cry,” Yugi said, swatting Atem’s shoulder with his other hand.

“But being a big softie is what I do best. Well, it’s the most fun for sure,” Atem grinned.

Yugi smiled at him, and then his face evened. “Oh… I’ve noticed Gandora’s being quiet. Is he all right? Not causing any damage? He shouldn’t be able to function without my energy, but I’m still a little worried. He can be unpredictable.”

“He’s on standby in the hanger bay with the rest of the mechs. He hasn’t done anything since you left the room.”

“That’s good to hear. He shouldn’t do anything, but I wanted to be sure. Gandora will wait for me to recover before we confront him. He’s actually very patient, surprisingly,” Yugi snorted.

“So you’ll let yourself rest? You won’t go and try and confront him by yourself? You’ll wait for me?”

“Of course I’ll wait. I promise I won’t be running off to do something spontaneous and not well thought out anytime soon. I’m sure between you and Anzu, and Jou and Honda I’d be dead from the weight of the worry you’d all dump on me.”

“Good. Thank you,” Atem leaned in for another kiss, letting it linger for a moment. He slowly pulled away, giving Yugi one last smile. “Rest well.”

Yugi nodded, shifting his body down longways. He turned on his side, blankets shuffled over his body.

Atem took his leave, closing the door quietly behind himself. He passed Ryou in the front room, still sipping from his mug.

“How’s he looking to you?” Ryou asked.

“He seems fine. Yugi’s strong.”

“That he is,” Ryou hummed, raising his mug as if in toast.

“Thank you for looking after him,” Atem bowed his head.

“It’s my job,” Ryou shrugged. “Plus, he’s my friend. I probably still owe him a few favours from uni, so making sure he doesn’t die from his weird experience in a mech’s chest makes us even, I’d think.”

Atem smiled. “Well, thank you anyway. It’s good to know he’s in capable hands.”

“Yeah, well, just don’t go doing something crazy to end up beside him in another bed, all right? Go take care of yourself, and Yugi will be out before you know it.”

“I hope so,” Atem laughed. He left the medical ward behind, and having nothing else to do for the day, he returned to his chambers.

* * *

Yugi spent the next few days recovering in the medical ward, leaving Atem to wander the ship. He didn’t want to spend every moment with Osiris; even if the mech said he didn’t mind. For some reason it made him feel better to give Osiris a break, like he needed to rest. He had also spent enough time in both his and Yugi’s rooms, and didn’t feel like pacing the space any longer.

So he asked Jou for a sparring match, and was thrilled when Jou agreed. They wore padded armour in case of stray slashes, both knowing they weren’t completely into it. It was something to mindlessly focus on for a while, and to kill time. He could tell Jou felt the same from how he was throwing his sword around.

Atem let himself get in the groove, trying to focus on his steps and Jou’s aim. He spun around a thrust, tiptoeing out of the way carefully.

Jou moved to strike again, but his movements were slow, and Atem was able to easily dodge and whack Jou’s sword on the way past, for extra measure.

“Man, I feel like I should be embarrassed with how out of it I am today,” Jou chuckled.

“I’m not at one hundred percent right now either,” Atem admitted. “But so long as we’re both lazily throwing around swords, I don’t think we need to be embarrassed.”

“Haha! Good point!” Jou grinned. Atem took the chance to rush forward, swinging his sword.

Jou brought his own blade up to parry, but also dodged to the side. Atem’s blade slid harmlessly off the tip of Jou’s.

He shuffled backwards, evening the distance between them once more.

“I’m worried about this meeting with Gandora,” Atem started, gauging Jou’s reaction.

Jou gave a hum, jumping forward to thrust his blade at Atem. Atem smacked Jou’s sword with his own, flinching at the strain it put on his arm. He brought his other forward to grip the handle with its twin, grunting.

“With his mech?” Jou frowned. “What kind of meeting?”

Atem kicked away, lowering his sword and hunching his body to pant. “We have to convince Gandora to not go ballistic and attack everyone. Again.”

“Can’t you just reprogram it?”

“I wondered that,” Atem nodded. “But then why didn’t they just do it before, when it happened last time? I’m not sure why, but something tells me there was a reason for that.”

“Hmm. So then what, they have to alter the AI somehow?”

“…In a way, yes.”

“Maybe Yugi should compromise with Gandora then,” Jou suggested.

“How so?” Atem tilted his head.

“Well…” Jou spun his sword around, gently tossing it in the air and catching it. Atem shifted into a more casual leaning position, sensing the match had paused.

“When I link with Red-Eyes, I make sure to accommodate for her. If it feels like she doesn’t want to do something a certain way, I make a few changes.”

“How so? Can you hear her speak?”

“Speak?” Jou looked confused. “No, her AI doesn’t talk. But sometimes I feel like I can sense like… emotions, you know? Like in reply to something I say. And sometimes it’s a nudge. It’s hard to explain the feeling…”

“I know what you mean,” Atem murmured. “I feel the same way with Osiris.”

“Your dragon, right?” At Atem’s nod, Jou continued. “Well I’m glad it’s not just me, hah. It had me worried for a while. I had more than a few sleepless nights. But then I realised it was only happening around my mech, when I had my connection equipment on. That’s when it felt clearest.”

“Hmm, interesting,” Atem tapped his chin, letting his sword wedge into the padded ground, standing upright like a huge toothpick. “Have you told Yugi about this?”

“No, I didn’t really think it was so important. But then, I didn’t know Yugi was looking to, uh, talk to his mech. I mean, I talk to Red, don’t get me wrong, but… Yugi’s a more serious guy. Am I missing something here?”

“There’s a lot going on right now. Ancient technology sort of thing.” Atem smiled sheepishly. “Also hard to describe.”

“Fair enough,” Jou shrugged, and Atem admired his nonchalance. He wished he could act so aloof, but then, he had too much on his plate to let himself skirt responsibilities.

“I’ll let Yugi know about this,” Atem said. “It might be worth working out a way to compromise.” _But it might be harder with Gandora, with how forceful he is. They’re both honestly unyielding. This will be… an experience._

He took off and put away his padded armour and sword before bidding farewell to Jou.

The sparring rooms were further down in the ship’s levels, so he decided to head to his quarters, being closer than Yugi’s. He was halfway there when he felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket, making him pause in the corridor. He fished around to pull it up, lighting up the screen.

A hologram sprung up with a message from Yugi. He flicked it open, his eyes trailing over the words.

“Yugi’s out already? I hope he got Ryou’s approval and didn’t sneak out,” Atem muttered. “But he said to meet him in the ward, so…”

He immediately turned back around, heading back to the elevator. Before long, he was back in the medical ward.

He didn’t have to go into the side room as Yugi was already sitting out at the table further into the room. He looked up as Atem came in, and Atem could see the determination in his gaze.

“I’m ready to talk to Gandora now,” he said, rising from the table. Atem glanced around quickly, but Ryou wasn’t around.

“He’s letting me go. I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Yugi smiled.

“Then let’s go,” Atem gestured behind him, and they both left the quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't have too many scenes without Gandora in them now can we? BBB)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So close to the end!! Only one full chapter left after this, and then the epilogue!

They stepped into the elevator, and Yugi hit the button for the hanger bay level.

As they descended, Atem broke the silence. “So, how are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m worried,” Yugi admitted. “And a little scared. It’s hard not to be, when you have to confront something that’s haunted you for so long.”

“Do you hate him? Gandora?”

“No, I don’t hate Gandora. I’m angry, but… I think I’m angrier with myself. For giving up so easily, and letting Gandora sit there for so long, cut off. It doesn’t feel like I fought enough, and that upsets me.”

“I think you should tell Gandora that,” Atem said. “I spoke with Jou yesterday about it, and he suggested compromising with Gandora.”

“Compromising?” Yugi frowned. “But… I’m not sure it would work. I’m not sure he _can_.”

“I’m sure given the right incentive he could.”

“Hmm,” Yugi didn’t sound convinced. He tapped his foot, and Atem shifted awkwardly. Luckily, the door to the elevator chimed and opened then, and they stepped out into the hanger bay.

Yugi marched straight over to where Osiris and Gandora were standing. Atem followed at a slower pace, glancing upward. Osiris’ proud jaw stuck out above, long and thin. Gandora’s, opposite of him, was wide and bulky, much like his whole body.

They both loomed over them, huge metal structures cast in brilliant shades from the industrial lighting above.

Yugi stopped in front of Gandora, sparing Osiris a quick glance before turning back to face his mech.

“Gandora,” Yugi said, crossing his arms.

 _“Pilot_ ,” Gandora replied, making his conscious known. Atem began translating Gandora directly for Yugi.

The air was frigid around them, enough that Atem felt goose bumps littering his arms. He shivered, watching Yugi carefully.

Yugi didn’t response immediately as Gandora had. He waited, standing as motionless as his mech. Atem was beginning to wonder if this was some kind of test, to see who would crack first, when-

“I’m sorry,” Yugi said, closing his eyes. Gandora remained motionless and quiet.

“I know I didn’t act right, when… the incident happened. I should have tried harder to bridge the gap that was tearing through us. I’m as much at fault for letting it grow, I’ll admit. So I’m sorry.”

Gandora as silent for a moment, and the lack of emotion and movement in his body made Atem nervous. Not being able to predict how he was feeling, like Atem could with Osiris, gnawed at his nerves. 

 _“Why did you push me away so readily?”_ Gandora asked in a rumble. “ _Were we not a team? Partners in destruction? I know you enjoyed what we did as much as I.”_

“I did,” Yugi admitted. “It was fun, and everything felt alive and fresh. I know Seto felt the same way too.”

_“Then why?”_

“I’d like to ask you the same thing,” Yugi grunted. “Why did you go berserk?”

 _“It is in my programming,”_ Gandora rumbled. “ _To be assertive and in charge. I was designed to be a leader of destruction, to bring forth powers of demolition. Your personality linked to mine, kept my more powerful urges at bay. But when you tried to take full control, to push my thoughts out, I reacted accordingly, I would say._ ”

“I see…” Yugi looked away, then to Atem, catching his eye. “I didn’t realise that…”

“You didn’t hear his rage?” Atem asked. “My question, not his.”

“I couldn’t hear Gandora back then as strongly as I can now.” Yugi explained. He began to pace slowly, arms linking behind his back. “So then why, Gandora, didn’t you allow your programming to be rewritten? After the incident, when people tried to calm you down. You kept destroying any new alterations to your systems.”

 _“No one has permission to change what I was created with,”_ Gandora growled. “ _My core is not a work of your people, it is a work of_ his _.”_

“Whose?” Yugi glanced around, pausing as his gaze locked with Atem’s. “Yours?”

“He must have been created originally on Yet-aghy, like Osiris was centuries ago.”

“Which would mean his core held programming from ancient times,” Yugi nodded, facing Gandora once more.

“Look, damage has being done, I won’t deny this,” Yugi started. “But I think we can rebuild something like what we used to have. I can see now that I was blaming you too much. But we both acted wrong, and out of line, which caused such heartbreak.”

_“So what do you suggest, pilot?”_

“We take turns,” Yugi said simply.

_“In what?”_

“In battle. I agree to pilot you again, and put us on the active roster. I’ll still be needed here, doing my main jobs as admiral, but when the call for mechs comes around, I’ll be there as your pilot, and you can go merrily slice and crush things out there,” Yugi flicked his wrist in a random direction.

Gandora was silent for a moment, his mind as still as his body. Yugi waited patiently, while Atem flickered his gaze between Osiris and Gandora, shifting on his feet. Gandora then gave a rumble, but it wasn’t heated. To Atem, it felt more pleased.

He knew Yugi could sense it too from the quirk of a smile on his face. “You agree?” he asked.

 _“Very well then,”_ Gandora said _. “Yes, I will agree to these conditions. So long as you uphold them this time, pilot._ ”

“I will.”

 _“There will be severe consequences if you do not,”_ Gandora drawled, and Atem suddenly felt his hair prick up on the back of his neck. He glanced up at Gandora, and had the distinct impression he was being watched.

“I understand.” Yugi replied. He turned to Atem, frowning. “You look spooked over something. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Atem forced a smile. “Just feeling the tension leave finally, now that you’ve reached an understanding.”

Yugi smiled back, stepping forward to kiss Atem on the cheek. “Thanks to you, love. I doubt I would have ever had the strength to face this situation on my own.”

“Sometimes you just need a push in the right direction.” Atem scooped an arm around Yugi’s waist, nosing into his neck, just breathing in his scent for a moment.

He relished in how Yugi’s arms looped around his own neck, and he felt breath on his ear. “And sometimes you just need the most amazing partner in the world to help show you the way,” he whispered.

Atem heard Gandora snort.

“I think your dragon is jealous,” Atem chuckled. Yugi pulled back to flip Gandora off.

“Shut up you, you know Atem is always my first choice. And I meant life partner, not partner in arms, or whatever you like to call it.”

Gandora growled softly, but Atem sensed no maliciousness behind it.

“Why do I feel like the new boyfriend getting attacked by the overly loyal dog?” Atem mused.

 _“Call me that again, and we shall see who hits who on the battlefield, little pilot,”_ Gandora sneered. Atem turned to relay to Yugi, who held up a hand to stop him.

“I could sense the emotion, I don’t think I want to know how he threatened you,” Yugi shook his head.

“I’m sure you could guess,” Atem laughed.

“ _Yugi Mutou!_ ” Anzu’s voice suddenly cut over them from the loudspeakers. “ _I know you’re out of that medical ward so get your ass up here!_ ”

Yugi winced, gaze turning to Atem’s. “Uh-oh. That did not sound good.”

“You better not keep her waiting,” Atem offered.

“You’re right. Come on, let’s see what’s wrong now,” he gestured them forward, leaving the mechs behind.

They took the elevator straight up to the bridge, Atem stepping out hesitantly behind Yugi pounding forward.

Anzu was in Yugi’s usual spot, hands raised to toss windows and applications over the holographic screens. She turned at their approach, eyes narrowing behind a hat similar to Yugi’s work one.

“Anzu, hey, I-” Yugi was swept up into what looked like a crushing hug before he could finish. He winced, but Anzu didn’t let up.

She eventually let him go when Yugi’s squirming became too much, only to cuff him over the back of the head.

“Hey! Ow!” Yugi winced.

“You idiot, going off like that and making us all worry!” Anzu huffed, crossing her arms and looming over Yugi.

“I know, sorry sorry!” Yugi ducked his head, shuffling away from Anzu and closer to Atem.

“Atem won’t protect you from my wrath Mutou,” Anzu waggled a finger in Yugi’s face, her gaze flickering to Atem’s. Yugi also turned to him, and Atem shrugged helplessly.

“She’s technically the boss right now,” Atem gestured to the hat Anzu wore.

Anzu grunted, rounding back on Yugi. She tipped the hat off, slamming it down on Yugi’s head.

“Hey! Come on! I’m wounded, you can’t keep hitting me like this!” Yugi puffed up, jerking his head back to offset the hat, glaring at them. “All right we’re here now, so let’s get to the point already.”

Anzu sighed, walking back over to the control station. “All right, down to business it is.” She flicked a panel over to the right, in front of Yugi and Atem.

It was another recording of Bakura, and Atem grimaced right as Yugi groaned.

“Another!? We _just_ fought him! Doesn’t this guy ever sleep?” Yugi sighed, dragging a hand down his face.

“I’m not at all convinced Bakura is even human at this point,” Atem muttered.

“I’m beginning to think the same thing,” Yugi grunted. He straightened up, face turning serious. He then reached out to press play, stepping back so Atem could watch the whole screen as well.

“ _Surprise! Bet you thought I would be MIA for a while, right? Wrong! You fuckers can’t get rid of me that easily_ ,” Bakura grinned. His face was so close to the screen his breath fogged the edges.

“ _How’s the death monster going? If I had known you fuckers were holding back on me this much, I would have smashed up one of your dragons sooner to bring it out!_ ” Bakura pulled back finally in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, teeth flashing at the camera.

“ _Well anyway, can’t make this too long or you’ll pathetically try and track it, no doubt. So down to business it is! I’m here to issue a challenge again! Come out to this location and fight me. Bring out all the stops, I want this to be huge when I finally defeat you all!_ _Oh, and do come at me with all you’ve got, assholes._ _I brought friends this time, and it’s sure to be a fun time!_ ” Bakura cackled, right before the recording ended and the screen switched to black.

A set of co-ordinates flashed at the bottom of the screen, a map program launching a view of the area.

It was completely in the middle of nowhere, nothing nearby to hide in or on.

“Friends? Bakura? Two words I never thought to hear in the same sentence,” Yugi commented.

Atem snorted, hiding a smile behind his hand. “What could he have meant, though? You’re right, Bakura doesn’t have companions. Unless he’s been strategically hiding them all this time.”

“It would make no sense,” Yugi countered. “He almost died when Gandora had him last, as you said. If he sensed he was in that much danger, why not call for help? No, I think this is something he’s been preparing. Or something that he’s chosen now to show us. What it is, I have no idea, and that’s worrying.”

“Are we going to meet his challenge?”

“We are.”

Anzu stepped up to them, frowning. “Is that wise? He’s got some unknown, possible advantage right now, and the Blue-Eyes won’t even be able to fly.”

“We’ll replace her and Seto for now,” Yugi held his head up, hands slipping into his jacket pockets. “Gandora and I will go instead.”

“You’re serious?” Anzu deadpanned. “After everything that just happened? You being in hospital, launching the red dragon before it was ready, and Atem risking his link on shaky ground? All that and you _still_ want to take Gandora out?”

Yugi shot Atem a questioning look, but Atem just shrugged.

“It’s kind of hard to explain ancient magical links and technology stuff to everyone. Besides, I wanted you to know first.”

Yugi’s gaze softened, and he reached out to brush a hand over Atem’s arm. “Thank you. That was sweet of you.”

“Know what?” Anzu prompted.

“Atem and Osiris are fine, don’t worry. We’ll explain it all later when Bakura isn’t breathing down our necks. As for Gandora, I’ve never known him to be anything but condescending and forceful. But recently… well, he’s been agreeable, and less of an asshole. I’m going to take what I can get, and we don’t have time to wish for better.”

“You could just refuse Bakura and wait until Blue-Eyes is finished repairs.” Anzu suggested.

“No, this ends now. We know where he’s going to be. Bakura won’t set a trap that doesn’t involve him directly there, gloating, so whatever we’re flying into, we know he’ll at least _be_ there. And with Osiris and Gandora, and probably Red-Eyes too, I doubt Bakura, even with ‘friends’, will be able to stop us.”

Anzu sighed, throwing her hands up. “All right, you’re the boss in the end. Don’t go getting yourself hurt though.”

“I promise to be on my best behaviour,” Yugi smiled sweetly. He reached up to his hat, taking it off and offering it to Anzu. “Would you mind keeping this on until we get back? I need a good head here at base.”

“Fine,” Anzu groaned, rolling her eyes. She swiped the hat, slapping it back on her head and turning to the screens once more. “You owe me for this, Mutou.”

“Add it to my tab, I’m sure it’s something shocking by now.”

“It is. I want a nice dinner out sometime planet side. I haven’t had proper grilled steak in _ages_.”

“I’ll shout you the biggest chunk of meat I can afford,” Yugi promised. He moved over to a screen, typing something in.

“Jounouchi Katsuya, get down to the hanger bay immediately, we’re heading out,” Yugi said, his voice vibrating around the loud speaker system. He hung up the line, pivoting on the spot to stride out of the bridge.

Atem hurried to catch up, sliding into the elevator just as Yugi slammed the button down.  

He seemed to realise his hasty actions then, throwing Atem a guilty look. “Sorry. I should have waited. I’m not used to people following me out of the bridge.”

“It’s all right,” Atem replied, leaning on the back rail. Yugi hummed, turning away.

Jou was waiting for them at the bottom, milling around the open space. He straighten when he saw them, coming over to meet them halfway.

“Yo Yugi! How ya feeling?”

“Better. Not so much like death. Is Red-Eyes ready for battle?” Yugi asked.

“Yup, repairs are all done so everyone could focus on Blue-Eyes now,” Jou answered.

“Good, we’re going out to fight Bakura again. Mad asshole is just begging to get shot,” Yugi muttered, striding away towards Gandora.

Jou turned to Atem, frowning. “Did he just say ‘we’?”

“Yugi’s going to replace Seto for now.”

“Is that a good idea? I mean, given how, uh… his mech is kind of unstable?”

“It’s been taken care of, don’t worry,” Atem gave his best reassuring smile, heading off after Yugi.

He caught up to Yugi between their mechs, by one of Gandora’s huge claws. Yugi was staring at his muddled reflection in it, glancing at Atem as he approached.

“You’re sure you’re good for this?” Atem asked. Yugi gave him a look. “I’m just checking! Can’t I be concerned about my boyfriend?”

“You’re sweet,” Yugi smiled. “But I’ll be fine, Atem. Really, I promise. Don’t give me that look.”

“What look?” Atem wrinkled his face up. “I wasn’t giving you any look.”

“You were giving me the ‘I will go out of my way and risk my life to protect him’ look. I will be _fine_ , Atem. Gandora can’t hurt me from the cockpit, and he won’t. So long as he gets his violence and maiming, he’ll be docile, I think. As strange as that sounds.”

There was no evidence of a reply from Gandora, but Atem glanced up at him warily anyway.

“Okay fine, I won’t do that. But you can’t either!” Atem furrowed his brows.

“I make no promises,” Yugi said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Yugi-”

“Quickly! In the mech! Go on! That’s an order!” Yugi laughed, racing away and disappearing behind one of Gandora’s huge legs.

 _Are you coming up now?_ Osiris tentatively asked him.

Atem flinched; he had mostly forgotten Osiris was there listening to everything as well. “Yeah, let me just… go find a way up.”

A loud beep made him jump, and he turned to see Yugi grinning at him, approaching on a scissor lift.

“That works,” Atem snorted.

“Going up, my dear?” Yugi leaned down, holding out a hand. Atem took it, hauling up onto the platform next to Yugi. Yugi moved his arm around Atem’s waist, keeping him close. His other hand was extended out to the control box, pressing the upward button down.

The lift rose to the level of their dragons’ cockpits.

“Sadly, we must part here,” Yugi lamented. Atem laughed, leaning in for a kiss. They paused for a moment to linger, and Atem thumbed over one of Yugi’s cheeks.

Yugi pulled away first, stepping to the other side of the platform and offering a small smile. “Duty calls.”

“And calls often,” Atem winked.

They both jumped off onto their respective mechs, Atem flopping down into Osiris’ chair with a satisfied sigh.

 _That seems to have been resolved rather peacefully,_ Osiris chirped.

“It could have gone much worse,” Atem agreed. “I kind of expected it to. But then, Yugi likes to surprise. I’m sure he thought long and hard about it yesterday and reached his conclusion before he had even messaged me. It’s just the kind of person he is.”

_Then it is just as well he did, as it seems to have calmed down the flames of Gandora’s rage._

“And for that, we should be grateful,” Atem muttered. He focused on flicking switches, preparing Osiris for launch.

 _Connection with Gandora has been opened,_ Osiris reported.

“ _Atem?_ ” Yugi prompted.

“I’m here,” Atem replied.

“ _We’re ready over here_.”

“Already?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Yugi sounded amused. “ _We’ve linked many times before, Atem_.”

“I know, I just thought… after, you know… n-never mind.” He slapped a hand over his face, grumbling insults at himself. He heard Yugi chuckle down the line, but there was no verbal reply. Atem flipped his microphone offline, settling down into the chair.

“Let’s go, Osiris,” he said, tilting the handles forward. Osiris wobbled out slowly to the exit point, and they waited for Gandora to enter as well before the doors closed, and the airlock opened in front of them.

Osiris surged out of the port, wings snapping open to glide away.


	18. Chapter 18

The deep abyss of space soon swallowed them up, the flagship a mere small blip far behind on their radar.

Gandora was quick to appear beside them in both radar and out of Osiris’ eye windows. Atem felt a moment of apprehension crawl over his spine at the sight before he was able to shake it off. The inky, bulky form glittering with red pulses made him nervous, the memory of the moment one of those lasers hit Osiris clear in his mind.

 _We’ll be fine,_ he repeated over and over in his mind, forcing his grip on the handles to tighten in distraction.

He saw Red-Eyes on the radar beside them somewhere, but her black coat of paint made her far harder to spot at a glance from the windows.

He wished they had Blue-Eyes’ raw power as well, but it wouldn’t be right to throw her into the fight while still having so much damage. Kaiba may have been willing, but whether it was belief in his dragon, or a desire to be involved in the battle, Atem wasn’t sure. He leaned towards the latter, however.

“ _We’re approaching the designated space. Be careful; who knows what Bakura has planned for us_ ,” Yugi warned.

“Roger,” Atem said at the same time Jou gave affirmation from his end.

They slowed their mechs down, crawling forward. Osiris tilted his head around, but all Atem could see was inky blackness outside. He checked the navigation software. They were in the right area. _So then where is he?_

A blip appeared on Osiris’ radar. Atem moved to check it, when another beep joined it. Soon, a chorus of robotic sounds were echoing around, faster than he had time to comprehend what was happening.

The radars were going haywire, loud beeping ringing in his ears. Atem turned angry eyes on the menacing tone, before pausing.

“But that can’t be right…” Atem muttered, squinting. He could swear that… there were-

 _There is more than one mech heading our way,_ Osiris commented. _Does Bakura have companions?_

“No, but he did say he was bringing ‘friends’.”

 _Then we had better be prepared for trouble_ , Osiris rumbled.

As they approached, he noticed the blips were almost right on top of them. And then he saw the mechs.

There were three of them, all identical and bulky in their appearance. If Atem had thought Diabound was a menace before, then three of them were sure to ruin their plans.

“ _Why are there three of them!?_ ” Jou shrieked, and Atem winced.

 _This does not feel good,_ Osiris muttered.

“ _Oh look_ ,” Bakura cackled through the line. “ _You brought out your death dragon. Well, you see, you have three mechs, and now I have three mechs! Evens the playing field a bit, don’t you think!_ ”

“Bakura…” Atem huffed, squeezing his hands over the handles tighter.

“ _So glad we can finally tangle mech to mech, dear Atem_ ,” Bakura sneered. “ _But I don’t want to fight you, actually. I’m much more interested in this monster here_.”

“ _Your funeral_ ,” Yugi replied, and Gandora rumbled his agreement.

 _“Let the fool try,”_ he snorted through the line.

“ _We’ll see just whose funeral it becomes_ ,” Bakura said, and Atem could practically see the smirk on his face. “ _Diabounds, attack!_ ”

One of the Diabounds shot forward, mouth open and bullets firing out of it. It went for the Red-Eyes, who jumped into motion, firing back.

Atem turned his attention to one of the others, tilting the controls forward. Osiris roared, springing forward and ducking down, his body trailing after them.

He swooped forward, clawed hands extended. The Diabound in front of him flexed its hands, leaning back.

Osiris came in with a slash, and the Diabound blocked it with both its hands. Osiris pushed forward, but Diabound was bulkier than Osiris, and they only succeed in sending it floating back through space.

Its tail snapped forward, and teeth found purchase in Osiris’ arm.

He roared, crushing his other hand over the small snake head, talons ripping down. The tail head released its grip, metal teeth cracking out of its mouth as it retreated.

Diabound hissed, inverting its wings to push back. Osiris shied away from the thrusters pointed at them, hanging back to wait for the next move.

Atem felt him nudge at his mind. “I know, we have to-”

“ _Atem, Jou needs help!_ ” Yugi suddenly shouted through the line.

“What?” Atem slammed a hand down on a communication button, and a screen flashed in one of Osiris’ eyes.

It showed Jounouchi off to one of Osiris’ sides, the Red-Eyes locked in battle with another Diabound. The Diabound smashed a sharp elbow into Red-Eyes’ jaw, sending the black dragon tumbling back.

“I’m a little busy,” Atem replied, jolting Osiris’ handles back to send them floating backwards. It put them just out of range of a swipe from Diabound.

“ _I’m fighting Bakura_ ,” Yugi grunted. “ _I can’t get away, can you help him out for a second?_ ”

“I’ll try,” Atem muttered. He switched the mic off. “Osiris, any ideas?”

 _I believe I can distract this Diabound for a moment,_ Osiris answered. _Hold on, I’ll get us to the Red-Eyes._

Atem braced himself as Osiris lurched into motion. The body swung around so Osiris’ wing thrusters were pointing back, and his wing tips faced where the Red-Eyes was on the radar. The Diabound tilted its head, seemingly confused at Osiris’ exposed position.

He heard the hydraulics of the large mouth opening, and before he could consider what Osiris would do, a small spark shot out. It shone bright against the abyss of space for a moment before colliding with Diabound’s chest.

It exploded on impact, Diabound’s arms and tail swatting around violently.

 _Now!_ Osiris yelled. His thrusters turned on to maximum output, and they flew forward, away from the flailing Diabound and towards where Jou was fighting another.

 _What do you want to do?_ Osiris asked. Atem surveyed the situation.

Red-Eyes looked wounded, a giant gash down one wing. Her head drooped, but she was still putting up a fight. Her claws extended out, and Atem could see the bursts of ignition from bullets she was pelting at Diabound.

“Let’s use your tail. Plunge the blade into its chest. I noticed before it’s made of a very strong material, and it should cut through the links in its centre.”

 _Understood,_ Osiris began to move forward, propelling them forward and speeding up. They soared towards the Red-Eyes, approaching from the back.

“Jou, watch out I’m coming up behind you!” Atem yelled into the mic. “Now, Osiris!”

Osiris pulled up, skirting the range of Diabound’s claws. His body swerved around, links dragging past until the tail was close enough.

Osiris thrusted the blade forward, piercing the chest armour of the Diabound. It twisted inside, sparks flying out. Diabound twitched and jerked for a moment, and then exploded.

Atem felt a rumbling scatter through Osiris’ hull, snapping his teeth together from the pressure. _There’s no way that was a normal vibration,_ Atem thought.

As if on cue, warnings suddenly filled his screens, and a loud alarm screeched in his ears. Osiris’ entire body jerked, and his head swung through the air, sending them spiralling.

“Osiris! What’s happening!?”

 _My tail has received damage,_ Osiris reported. His voice sounded strained, and his deep tone was hard to hear over the blaring alarm.

A screen popped up, prompting Atem’s attention to a yellow tinted eye window. It gave him a map of Osiris’ body, outlined in green. The section at the end that marked his tail lit up in red instead, flashing aggressively at him.

It looked like a good portion of the end was not responding. _I guess we won’t have that for the rest of the fight, then,_ Atem bit his lip. Even without the tail, they should be able to manage. One Diabound was down, and they only had one other and the one Bakura was piloting left.

The com line crackled open, and Jou’s voice filtered through it. “ _Hey man, thanks a lot! Thought I was in trouble back there!_ ”

“It’s all right, Jou,” Atem replied. “Just help me out with-”

 _Argh!_ Osiris suddenly screamed, and the head swooped down.

“Fuck!” Atem gave the handles a death grip. His stomach lurched at the feeling. “Osiris! Report! Is it damage?”

 _The other Diabound is back,_ Osiris growled. He pulled his head around, giving Atem a view of a section of his body.

The long line of crimson plates were bunched together in an unnatural way. The window turned slightly, and the other Diabound appeared in view.

In its claws was a segment of Osiris’ body, the metal being crushed to the point where small pieces were floating away, broken off from the hull. Behind Diabound, the rest of the body flailed uselessly, Osiris’ back legs kicking away from the mech, unable to strike.

“Can you use your legs to slice at him?” Atem tried.

 _I cannot reach the hull,_ Osiris snarled. Atem could feel his rage at being held back.

“I’m taking control,” Atem said before tilting the handles to the left.

Osiris’ head moved in response, and Atem made it spin in a semi-circle. Diabound tugged harder on the plates, but Osiris was too long for it to affect his head immediately.

 _The advantage to such a lengthy mech design,_ Atem mused, right as he crashed Osiris’ mouth into Diabound’s shoulder.

Metal teeth ripped at metal plating, and Osiris caught on. He dug his teeth further in, clamping down and keeping Diabound in place.

The smaller, second mouth above the main one opened with a faint whine. _A gun in the other mouth?_ Atem thought, his screen counting down a charging time.

Atem turned the mic on, channelling his voice through to Jou. “Jou, fire on this Diabound at the same time I do!”

“ _Right, gotcha!_ ”

Atem leaned to the right, flicking a dial on the dashboard upwards. He heard a whirling sound, and gave the signal.

“Now, Jou!”

“ _Roger!_ ”

Atem pressed a button next to the dial. A beam shot out of the smaller mouth, smashing into Diabound.

It left a searing hole in its face, and Diabound’s mouth opened in a silent scream.

Another shot hit its face, a bullet wedging in deep. The claws around Osiris’ body let go, and Osiris jerked away immediately.

They shimmied away, and Diabound floated off in the opposite direct. There was no light in its glass window eyes, and it was not showing signs of movement, besides the occasional twitch.

 _All systems are offline for this Diabound,_ Osiris commented. _Its core has short-circuited. I do not think we will have to deal with it any longer._

“Good,” Atem sighed. “Let’s go deal with the last one now.”

“ _Yeah take that!_ ” Jou cackled, and Osiris’ head swerved towards him.

The Red-Eyes flew forward to the out of commission Diabound, raising a leg to kick it. It spun further away, and Atem scoffed.

“Well done, Jou.” He chuckled.

“ _We should go help Yugi with real Bakura_.”

“Aye,” Atem mumbled, taking the handles and turning Osiris around.

As it turned out, when they reached where Yugi and Bakura had edged away in their fight, Yugi had already worn Bakura out.

Gandora had Bakura in a lock, an arm outstretched and thick fingers wrapped around Diabound’s neck.

Osiris and Red-Eyes slowed to float around the two, weapons on standby.

“ _Give up, Bakura, or Gandora will kill you_ ,” Yugi said. Gandora flexed his hands, as if in agreement. Some of his gems along his body were glowing too, the only warning that they were a thought away from searing holes into Diabound.

Atem let Osiris hover over to Diabound’s side, the lower half of his body slightly wound around the space around Diabound’s waist.

“If he makes any sudden movements, lock his tail,” Atem said.

_Understood._

“I’m not going to submit to some pipsqueak with a massive shield,” Bakura mocked.

“Gandora, laser, right shoulder,” Yugi let his command filter through the line, and Atem was sure Bakura could hear it as well.

One of the gems on Gandora’s arms blinked brighter than its companions. A beam shot out of it, only visible for a second before it burned into Diabound’s shoulder.

The metal bubbled and set in an ugly scar, plates peeling back. Diabound flinched, but didn’t lash out.

“ _You fucking-!_ ”

“ _Surrender, or I will destroy your mech piece by piece_.” Yugi said slowly. Atem winced at the intensity of it.

“ _I see I was trying to destroy the right mech first_ ,” Bakura scoffed. “ _Your stupid red dragon is nowhere near as strong as it used to be, Atem. This dragon is far stronger. Why did you even bother bringing it back when you had this monster and its monster pilot here?_ ”

Atem heard Yugi hum dangerously low, but he didn’t rise to Bakura’s japes. Atem easily ignored the comments, feeling Osiris’ indifference to them as well.

“Just relinquish the controls, Bakura,” Atem tried. “Admit your plan failed. Don’t make us kill you.”

“ _You don’t have the guts_ ,” Bakura shot back.

Gandora growled, and he shook his fist. Bakura made several sounds of surprise, and he smacked into something, loud enough for the receiver to pick it up.

“ _Fucking stop you asshole!_ ”

“ _Surrender_ ,” Yugi sounded impatient, and Atem worried Gandora was taking control.

“ _Fine, fine! I can tell when I’m beat_ ,” Bakura grumbled. Diabound suddenly fell still, head drooping.

“ _Atem, bind him please_.” Yugi said.

“Right away,” Atem turned the handles around, and then flipped a switch. Somehow, despite not being that familiar with Osiris’ vast dashboard, he knew it would shift the red plates.

Osiris’ body condensed and tightened around Diabound’s waist, trapping his hands by his sides. Atem kept the coils tense enough that Diabound would have to strain to break the hold, but not enough to damage the armour plates.

Gandora drifted behind slightly, readjusting his grip on Diabound’s neck. His other hand came forward to rest on Diabound’s back, nudging it forward.

With Diabound secured between them, Gandora and Osiris turned towards home, thrusters burning full blast.

Atem felt nervous transporting such a dangerous and unpredictable person directly to their flagship. It felt like Bakura could break free and attack them at any moment.

He stayed silent for as long as he could manage, shifting around restlessly in his seat. Eventually his worries gnawed at him too much, and he flicked the line open.

“Yugi?”

“ _Yes?_ ” Yugi answered immediately.

“Is this really a good idea?” Atem asked.

“ _We don’t have a choice. Unless you want to just kill him,_ ” Yugi said.

“Of course not.”

“ _Then we have to hope this will be enough_.” The line cut off, and Atem let out an unsatisfied hum.

They probably didn’t have a choice, Yugi was right. But Bakura was tricky, and for all the times they had fought him, something made Atem doubt any prison would be able to hold him.

 _They’d need a special kind of prison,_ Atem reasoned. _Maybe Yugi could get him sent somewhere isolated, with maximum security. That might not even be enough, though._

 _It will be all right,_ Osiris butted in, nudging Atem in his mind. _You are overthinking this._

“Yeah, I have a habit of doing that,” Atem smiled.

_It is understandable to worry, but it will be fine. You have done well._

“I have to admit, piloting you like this has been like nothing I’ve piloted before. It feels so natural, like I instinctively know where almost everything is. Is that you? Do you do that?”

 _Not directly,_ Osiris replied. _But perhaps our connection helps guide you to the right buttons and dials. Or perhaps, you have excellent intuition._

“I see,” Atem hummed, letting his hands fall off the handles. He could tell Osiris was auto-piloting for him, retracing their path back to the flagship.

Jou was ahead of them, the Red-Eyes flying faster without having to tether Bakura. It was also the most damaged, and Atem suspected Jou wanted to get her checked as soon as possible.

By the time Gandora and Osiris reached the flagship, Red-Eyes was already docked inside, being worked on furiously by a team of technicians.

When the doors cleared, Gandora trotted in first, dragging Bakura unkindly behind with a huge arm. Diabound untangled from Osiris’ coils. Atem quickly released the tension in them, hanging Osiris back while Yugi continued forward.

He parked Osiris off to the side, close to Blue-Eyes’ station. Osiris helped lower his head, giving Atem a short jump off the side to the ground.

Gandora went further up, to one of the mecha ports. He crouched down onto all four limbs, head dipped down. He tipped Diabound down with him, letting the mech fall on its back with a crash.

Atem jogged over, and he caught Jou sprinting from Red-Eyes’ bay as well. They both approached as Yugi was climbing down, stumbling over the floor. Atem reached out to steady him with a hand, which Yugi took with a grateful smile. 

He then turned his attention away from Atem, shouting orders at people lingering nearby. Yugi pointed towards Bakura’s mech, and a team descended on it.

Several staff members scrambled up the side of Diabound while others stayed on the ground. They pulled Bakura out of the cockpit, who was screaming and cursing everyone loudly.

He was brought over to where Atem and the others were standing, practically dangling from between a few taller soldiers as the others stayed on standby behind.

Bakura growled at them, spitting on the ground by Yugi’s feet.

Yugi stared back in mild disgust, flicking his wrist dismissively. “Knock him out and keep him under. He’s not to wake up until he’s planet side. I want a strict guard twenty four seven around him.”

“Yes sir,” one of the soldiers said. They motioned to the rest, who began to drag Bakura away.

“Jou, go make sure they have a roster to follow. I want this done right,” Yugi ordered.

“Sure thing pal,” Jou gave a quick salute, followed by a wink before turning to dash after the departing party.

Atem looked on, worry pricking at his mind still. He saw Yugi turn to him, pausing.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” Atem muttered. “It doesn’t feel… heroic.”

Yugi snorted. “Did you think it would?”

“A little?” Atem smiled sheepishly.

“It never does,” Yugi hummed, shifting his weight to one foot. He slipped a hand into his jacket pocket, the other wrapping around his waist.

“Never?”

“Sad, isn’t it?” Yugi mused. “It’s all quite anticlimactic in the end. And it doesn’t get better. But if it’ll make you feel better, I can pat your head and tell you what a good job you did.”

“Mmm, think I’d prefer a kiss instead.”

“I bet you would,” Yugi chuckled, strutting off.

“W-Wait! Hey!” Atem kicked off after him, moving in front to cut him off. “What, I don’t get a big victory kiss?”

Yugi stopped, rolling his eyes with mock annoyance. “All right, come here you,” he lunged forward, hands scrunching into Atem’s jumpsuit.

Atem was dragged forward, and their lips crashed together.

He instantly slipped his arms around Yugi’s neck, pulling him closer. Yugi tilted his head, his tongue licking over Atem’s lips. Atem opened them, tongue sliding out to join Yugi’s.

They didn’t care when their lips wetly smacked together, nor when Atem made soft whining noises. Nothing else mattered then except feeling each other, and experiencing it together.

Atem broke away to gasp for breath, giving Yugi a shaky smile. Yugi smiled back, pressing his head into the groove of Atem’s neck. Atem tightened his hold, doing the same and burying his nose into Yugi’s hair.

They stayed like that, wrapped in each other’s arms as the moments passed by. Atem soaked in Yugi’s sweet scent, and the warmth of his body pressed against his. His heart ached for more quiet moments like this, to be able to hold and be held so simple and easily, without the weight of some huge responsibility pressing down on them.

He was loathed to break the thin layer of security that blanketed their tiny moment, but the question was burning on his tongue.

“So, what happens now?” he asked.

“I’ll speak to the higher ups about this,” Yugi said. “We’ll work something out for Bakura. In fact, now that he’s not menacing us out in this sector, we can be posted somewhere else, finally.”

“Will we still have to fight? Even when Bakura is locked away and his mech is out of commission?”

“I have to,” Yugi sighed, pulling back to glance at Gandora. “He wants to keep fighting. And I promised. My hands are tied, I’m afraid.”

“But will you be allowed to? After what was reported with Gandora last time?”

“I can make new reports that he’s working again, and demonstrated very well in combat. I’m sure they wouldn’t complain to the new asset. Gandora was just a useless weight for ages, after all.”

“But you don’t want to fight,” Atem guessed.

“Not really,” Yugi admitted. “I’ve gotten used to being off the field. It’s not so bad, but… well, sometimes you can’t avoid doing certain things. This is one of them, by the looks of it.”

“What if there was another way? Something the government would agree to, involving the mechs. I don’t think fighting and war is all they’re good for.”

“It’s what they’re built to do,” Yugi frowned. “A lot of money went into these things. Would you have another suggestion?”

“Maybe…” Atem put a hand to his lip, gnawing on a nail. He thought it over, all the possible options that showed some sliver of good intention.

 _Are you sure there is another way?_ Osiris spoke up. _Yugi is right, we are creatures of battle._

 _But maybe not war…_ Atem found himself thinking.

It came to him in a sudden flash, and he laughed, mentally cheering. He felt Osiris murmur his agreement in the back of his mind. Yugi cocked an eyebrow at him, clearly waiting for him to speak.

Atem smiled. “I have an idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow's final chapter will be the epilogue! Hope you enjoyed the final fight~ This story is almost complete already wow :'''D


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the epilogue. Finished already, wow, that chapter a day schedule really makes it fly by ahaha. I still prefer weekly updates, but then this whole fic was done before I had even started posting it, so it wasn't a rush for me to get content out (for ONCE LMAOOOO). I'll save the rest for the end, enjoy the epilogue!

The crowd was a roaring symphony. Voices echoed off the walls in a torrent of sound. Industrial lighting the size of trucks poured down into the arena below, illuminating the vast sandy plain below.

Atem paused at the edge of the platform, letting the noise wash over him. He felt a happy hum in the back of his mind.

“You ready to go as well?” he whispered, looking down at the opened cockpit.

_I am ready when you are, Atem._

“I’ll be there shortly,” Atem replied. He adjusted his jacket, shrugging it further up his shoulders. His hair was as untameable as always, but he had managed to wrap it in a ponytail behind, bangs threaded away from his face.

He heard the voice of the announcer chatting away, hyping up the crowd for their next piece of entertainment. His opponent was being talked up, given a million titles and qualifications in mech fighting to the wooed sounds rising from the mass of people.

He heard a roar, and the ground shook as his foe stepped out into the area. He couldn’t see them yet, of course, but it made his blood pump faster, exhilaration shooting through him.

 _Showtime_ , he thought, stepping forward to the threshold of the platform.

“Can I kiss the champion good luck?” Atem paused mid step, turning back at the voice.

Yugi was leaning against the railing behind him, at the other end of the platform. “You look like you’re having a lot of fun,” he said.

“Yugi! You’re back,” Atem turned back around, racing over to scoop Yugi up into his arms. Yugi laughed, wrapping his arms around Atem’s waist and kissing him sloppily.

“How was space?” Atem asked, moving his hands to thumb over skin instead. Yugi hummed his appreciation, his own hands seeking out Atem’s cheeks.

“The same as ever. Nothing particularly exciting about the mission we just finished. Oh, we did survey a planet somewhere out in the west. It had rainforests.”

“Ohhh.”

“Gandora crushed an entire eco system I think.”

“Oh.”

“You’d have hated it. So wet and humid.”

“Hey humidity is okay. I just prefer the desert.”

“Something we’ll never agree on there,” Yugi scoffed, but he was smiling regardless.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve got a break,” Atem said. “I’m surprised Gandora let you go so easily.”

“He’s been more placid recently since we had an actual battle mission. The drills and training is usually good, but you know him. He lives for the thrill of the fight. Or something like that. I honestly think he just likes to smash stuff.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him. He would really love the arena.”

“I don’t trust him with crowds. He doesn’t need the ego boost, either. And besides, I had to come watch your next big fight, of course.” Yugi winked.

“I’m still honestly trying to work out how you managed to convince the government to allow this.”

Yugi chuckled, shrugging nonchalantly. “A lot of meetings and debates. Your idea was good, it just needed me and Seto there threatening with our jobs to take off.”

“You’re welcome, and thank you,” Atem sent a wink right back.

“It was a pretty good idea. Who would think million dollar government projects could be used in arenas to fight for entertainment?”

“Just wait until the young ones have their own mechs built,” Atem said. “Then it’ll really take off.”

“Oh dear, I can imagine the meetings that will cause,” Yugi huffed. “But as long as it’s legal, and money gets funnelled to them, the government won’t care.”

“It is nice to have permission to go wild like this,” Atem agreed. “And I don’t get in trouble, extra bonus.”

A beeping interrupted them, and Yugi groaned. He fished around his pocket, flipping his phone out and staring at the screen.

“Good news?” Atem asked, already knowing the answer.

“It can wait, it’s not critical,” Yugi said, returning the phone to his pocket.

“So you’re just dropping by, then?” Atem put a hand over Yugi’s arm, thumb brushing the bracer over his wrist.

Yugi smiled, his posture relaxed; he didn’t flinch. Atem brought the wrist to his face and kissed skin softly, smiling.

“Beautiful.”

“I came into work without them the other day,” Yugi said. “Seto did as well. It’s nice to know he’s not as salty over this all as he used to be. Dare I say it, he’s matured.”

Atem put on his best shocked face, and counted it a victory when Yugi huffed at him. “Kaiba? Matured? What has _happened_ since I left?”

“Hey, it’s been a while. What did you expect to happen?” Yugi said, looking amused.

“Something actually achievable.”

“Hey now, Seto can be reasonable sometimes. Just, not when you’re around, I guess.”

“Do _all_ your exes hate me?” Atem asked in mocking woefulness.

“A few,” Yugi agreed. “But not all.”

“There’s _more_!?”

“Oh yes,” Yugi grinned mischievously. “Plenty more.”

 _Atem, our introduction has been said, it is time to go,_ Osiris prompted him.

“All right, be there in a second,” Atem replied, hoping Osiris would hear from the distance.

He gave Yugi a sheepish shrug. “Sorry, duty calls,” he grinned.

“And calls often,” Yugi laughed, swatting Atem on the shoulder. “Go on you, go win your game.”

“Hey, the match could go either way. Don’t count my opponent out before they’re able to show what they’re made of.”

“Well you better win, or I lose a lot of money,” Yugi scoffed.

“You bet on me? You can’t! You’re a government official!” Atem spurted. “That’s illegal.”

“Only if people find out,” Yugi grinned mischievously.

“Yugi-”

“Relax, Atem, I’m just joking with you,” Yugi teased. “Although if I could bet, it would be you every time, love.”

“Good,” Atem leaned forward, nuzzling into Yugi’s neck.

Yugi hummed happily, his hands coming up to cradle Atem’s cheeks. “You better get going now. There’s only so long they’ll be able to scream out there for.”

“Yeah, I probably should,” Atem chuckled. “Can’t keep my adoring fans waiting.”

Yugi brought him forward, and their lips met. Atem melted into the hold, threading his hands through Yugi’s hair to deepen their touch.

“Mmm,” Atem moaned, breathing in as much as he could.

“All right, slow down there love,” Yugi pulled back, touching their foreheads together. “Don’t want to put you too much in _that_ mood when you need to fight.”

“You are such a tease,” Atem murmured, turning away. “So was that an indirect invitation for tonight?”

“Only if you’re supplying the dinner.”

“Of course, I can’t trust you to cook.”

“Ooo, harsh,” Yugi winced. “I’ll just go sulk in the bleachers then.”

“As long as you’ll still actually watch my match.” Atem winked. “I’ll fight harder knowing such a beautiful man is watching me.”

Yugi laughed, shaking his head. “You’re adorable. All right, go on, shoo. Before you get in trouble.”

“Okay,” Atem ducked forward to sneak a kiss in on Yugi’s cheek, dashing away before Yugi could swat him again. “See you after, love!”

“Have fun, Atem!” Yugi called after him, and Atem felt his cheeks flush.

He paused at the threshold once more, looking out at the arena, and the huge mech he could barely see bouncing around inside.

Osiris nudged at his mind, and Atem hummed.

“Showtime,” he whispered.

Atem jumped down into the cockpit, and Osiris roared to life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! Thank you so SO much to everyone who read the fic, and those who have left comments! I had an absolute blast reading them all and you guys all made this fic feel worthwhile <3 I was blown away by the amount of support I got on this, I honestly wasn't expecting it! But I'm so grateful and appreciate of it all. Thank you all, and maybe I'll see you in a few months time (early next year more like it lmao) for my next work! Thanks again! <3


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